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I have an idea for a project. The Origin of Species is one of the most important books ever written; however, surprisingly few people have read it carefully. While the Internet is a bottomless cesspool of stupidity, though, there are also a number of quite valuable resources available, some of which have considerable potential for helping us - all of us - contribute something important and of lasting value to human knowledge.

There is a site called Youtube that allows people to post 10 minute videos of their own making to the web. My idea is to use Youtube to create an "Origin of Species Redux." The 1st idea is for me to create a series of videos that would summarize the main points from each of the 14 chapters of OOS. The truth is, however, I don't know how much time I'm going to have for doing this - it might take me a year or more to do this. Moreover I really suck as a public speaker and so it would be really cool, if someone listened to my first video and said to herself, "Dear God, but this sucks. I can do better than that." and then she goes out and does it. And then maybe someone else thinks, "Hey, I'm very fond of chapter II" and so on. At the end, some adept video editor might take the best chapter ones and produce a collage that serves as a really good intro to chapter one. Same for each of the other chapters.

In this way, we could really contribute something useful. I also think it would be fun. I'm anticipating that my "challenge" will go ignored and that I will continue doing this by myself until I get bored with it or move on to another project. But if anyone would like to give it a try, the first installment is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KrRGEw5X48




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Nice video, TFF, thanks for sharing. It sounds like a worthwhile project to me. wink

Amaranth


If you don't care for reality, just wait a while; another will be along shortly. --A Rose

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Among my job qualifications is professional lecturer: I'd be happy to help if it promotes the understanding of serious science.


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Good luck with the project, it's a great initiative.

(Would be keen to see the video, but YouTube has been banned here)


"Time is what prevents everything from happening at once" - John Wheeler
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It may be worth doing a preface video looking at exactly why it is one of the most important books ever written.If you want people to be aware of it's content then you may need to tell them why they should be interested.

Blacknad.

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Good suggestion Blacknad. Perhaps an introduction/preface would also help attract support for the project.


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Youtube......
thats goiong to be hard making a movie like that, not to be negative ned or anything. i like making movies and such, but something like that is actually harder than it seems. but u can still do it if you want, dont let me be the party pooper. haha.

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Outstanding!
Pick a chapter - any chapter - and make a video.

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Regarding a preface video - very good suggestion. Will do.

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Tim,
You're right. It is harder than I thought it would be. I anticipate utter failure. But if my negative example can inspire a more knowledgeable and competent explicator to demonstrate how to do it right, then my time shall not have been wasted.

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TFF,

I have seen both Intro and Chapter One.

Have you seen this for a laugh?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8SFK0OPO2A&mode=related&search=

I could only watch two minutes (it is way over the top) but it is 'unique'.



Anyway, do you know how to produce Flash animation. Something like that would be good. People will not sit and listen to a talking head these days (especially the youth).

To hit the biggest audience you will need some eye-candy as well. Maybe it would help if you presented it naked - that would generate some interest smile

Joking aside, and honest feedback: I was very interested to listen to it, but still found it a little dry. You will need some kind of imagery.

Blacknad.

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Dear Blacknad,
Points well taken. I hope that this will be an evolutionary project, so to speak, and that successive iterations will improve it.

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Blacknad,
Thanks for sharing that link. I watched it twice. Neat! wink

Amaranth


If you don't care for reality, just wait a while; another will be along shortly. --A Rose

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Rose. Yes. It goes with a post I made regarding Jah and Rastafarians.

Fallible. Is your idea to promote interest in the original book "Origin of Species" or to provide a sustained proof of exactly how evolution has led to all the species present on earth today? If the latter I have collected a fair amount of stuff on the subject. I'll send you a list and you can decide what you'd like to use.

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Terry,
My initial idea is to explain exactly what Darwin is saying. The reason is simple - there are a lot of people (mostly, but not exclusively creationists) who believe they know what it says, but do not. I would like to summarize the most important points of what it actually says.

If this works out, I might even try doing a similar thing for other great works of science. I'm not sure.

However, I do have a mind that after the initial project is completed that I/we might include extensive expository material to update, clarify, etc.

Anything you might provide could be useful.
thanks,
(but also consider doing a chapter!)

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Cool TFF, Godd going!

Just saw the Daily SHow and they have a parody (squared) of Inconvenient Truth. Hilarious; well worth trying to catch.
More later?
~Samwik

P.S.
I was struck by the point about diversity of "domesticated" species.
--Especially Humans, eh?
Recently I've been learning about new advances in genomics, and also learning about the links to brain "disorders" such as autism and Asperger's.
--...and maybe the likes of the VPI (VA Tech) psycho.

~SA

Last edited by samwik; 04/20/07 06:55 AM.

Pyrolysis creates reduced carbon! ...Time for the next step in our evolutionary symbiosis with fire.
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Thefalliblefiend wrote:

"but also consider doing a chapter"

Obviously the great man knew nothing about genes and so we can now explain many things he had trouble with.

Maybe Chapter IX, Hybridism. I believe its influence on evolution has been greatly under-rated. I've got two brothers who have been dairy farmers and I was raised on one. I've helped them with their breeding programs (my degree is in agriculture). Artificial breeding has revealed a lot about inbreeding and hybrid vigour.

I could probably knock something up in a couple of weeks. Where do you want me to send it?

By the way, have you read a book "Almost Like a Whale" by Steve Jones (ISBN 1862 30025 9)? It's his update of Origin. "Hybridism" is chapter VIII in his book. He drops Darwin's chapter VII from my 1895 edition, "miscellaneous objections etc."

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Terry! outstanding!
The best thing would be for you to create your own youtube account and publish it. Failing that you could try to email it to me at thefalliblefiend@ida.org . If there's a problem, we can figure out the details then.

Thank you so much for your generosity!
tff

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In my book, hybridism is chapter VIII, but the exact chapter number is something we might work out towards the end.

thanks again,
k

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Fallible. The chapter on "miscellaneous objections to the theory of natural selection" (chapter VII in my edition) may have been dropped from your edition or added by the time mine came out. I certainly can't think of any reason to include such a chapter these days!

His chapter on hybridism deals with the idea that hybrids between varieties or species covers the whole spectrum from increased fertility to total infertility. It's a good argument against those who believe species are fixed entities. I'll get onto it ASAP and get back to you.

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