Carthage

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March 04, 2005

"Genes, like diamonds, are forever..."

I'm plodding my way through the dense but rewarding The Selfish Gene these days, initially because it's an important part of my own altruistic Gene's canon but increasingly for its own sake too. Dawkins argues that the gene is the basic unit of evolution and programs its host body to, among other things, guard its offspring so that the gene will be able to survive in the new body of the child.

Reading this, I'm starting to worry that my genes may have mutated a little on their trip from my parents to me. My immediate reaction to a screaming child, rather than an inclination to soothe or protect, is "Euagh, kill it!" I think most people only have this reaction to bugs or rodents or Carrot Top. It's possible I'm programmed only to soothe and protect my own children, and killing other people's children is actually a survivial mechanism ensuring less competition for my own gene machines, but what if I'm wrong?

Also, while a gene is the basic unit of evolution, a kris is a curvy-edged Malayan dagger. Basically, he creates life and I slice it to bits. None of this speaks too highly for my potential parenting abilities.

Posted by didofoot at March 4, 2005 02:35 PM

Comments

Dawkins references it several times in The Selfish Gene, but I thought that I'd throw in a plug for The Blind Watchmaker. Good stuff.

Posted by: Jacob at March 4, 2005 09:36 PM

apparently douglas adams was largely influenced by the blind watchmaker and the selfish gene. this trivia was brought to you from wondercon.

Posted by: didofoot at March 5, 2005 08:44 AM

2 things
1. i like this color scheme so much more than the b&b cream and marroon, even if it is completely gene derivative. is it in fact gene futzing with your settings?
2. this layout for the comment template is weird and confusing. mostly because it is centered on the page. also, the background color is ugly. i am so not a fan of grays. i like that your picture is on the comment page though. i should do that!

Posted by: michele at March 16, 2005 12:33 PM

your new colors are the softer side of sears! if gene was sears.

Posted by: michele at March 16, 2005 12:35 PM

I'm a fan of the new design.

But your archive templates still need a little love.

Posted by: Danny at March 16, 2005 12:43 PM

The centering is disorienting. Also, I can't read the commenters' names without highlighting (using Firefox). The colors are quite pretty, however.

Posted by: sean at March 16, 2005 01:07 PM

Also, the main page looks really good.

Posted by: sean at March 16, 2005 01:08 PM

sean don't encourage this gray madness!

Posted by: michele at March 16, 2005 01:27 PM

Ooooh, oooh. The main page does look very nice. This page, though, as someone whose name is obscured pointed out, needs some love. Anything that's a link doesn't show up without highlighting (this is in IE). I was wondering for a while why there was so much blank blue space below the comment form, because the entire archives list is invisible.

Posted by: Dianna at March 16, 2005 01:33 PM

what are you guys even doing here? obviously this is not the final product. i just had gene help me install the updated mt templates last night and then we had to rush off to dinner so i didn't have time to tweak anything. don't worry, none of this is permanent.

Posted by: didofoot at March 16, 2005 03:09 PM

ahhhh you fixed this comment form page.

we are rooters out of all newness when desperately starved at work for any other form of entertainment. what can i say.

ok, really, i just stumbled over it by accident.

Posted by: michele at March 16, 2005 03:27 PM

well that's ok, fixing this beats studying for my history midterm after all.

Posted by: didofoot at March 16, 2005 03:37 PM

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