We have a notable firsties first author paper by Megan Dennis in PLoS Genetics.
Monthly Archive for March, 2009
“Where the Wild Things Are” is a Spike Lee spliff. Here’s the theatrical trailer set to an Arcade Fire song.
The book is short, just a handful of sentences, and has a familiar theme: the power of imagination. What saves it from cliche is the fantastic illustrations. I have a vivid memory of those watercolor and ink monsters warping my own imagination as a child. And as a child, I always blinked. I actually remember it being controversial among parents as too graphic for their impressionable little pups to handle. I say reality is too impressionable, and some fantasies are better for their horns and claws.
I’ve been acused of being too conservative over this, but since Lee’s using the same title in his movie, he ought to tell the same story. Anything less is crass marketing manipulation. As it goes, his success will be determined by an effective translation of this giddy fear to the screen. Do it for the children, Lee.
Fill in the blank
According to the current dogma, _________ form the proper unit of selection.
1. genes
2. individuals
3. groups
4. species
5. ecosystem-levels
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Update:
To crib a popular metaphor, species is to ecosystem as cancer cell is to organism. This seems an ironic non-answer packaged for journalists since what we don’t know about metastasis is…significant!
David Joblonski: Species selection may not build horns, but it can determine how many species have horns or how long horns persist.
There are only a few examples of group selection, mostly agricultural, but it may simply be for lack of looking: google Alexandra Penn and biofilm.
David Sloan Wilson makes the loudest case for ecosystem-level selection.
The following is a rejection letter from the hipster literary rag N+1, based out of New York. The initial flavor is economical and thus slightly aloof, with a notable aftertaste of excuse-making, crafted to soothe the ego.
Dear Tony:
Thank you for sending First Responder to n+1. Unfortunately, we will not be able to publish it. As a biannual, n+1 is only able to publish a small number of fiction selections each year. We do appreciate your submission and wish you the best of luck placing your work elsewhere.
Sincerely,
The Editors
I submitted my short story, “First Responder,” in December.