A shift in the terms of evolutionary debate

Until recently, general evolutionary debate has been virtually monopolised by the somewhat sterile confrontation between creationists, on the one hand, and dogmatic Darwinists such as Richard Dawkins on the other. As we approach 2009, Darwin's 200th anniversary and the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species, it is perhaps time to shift the terms of the debate away from ideological confrontation and towards a more fertile and pragmatic examination of Darwin's theory.

At the heart of this examination lies the assumption that evolutionary theory does not belong to a small cabal or priesthood of professional biologists. The concept of evolution by natural means is our common human property, arguably our greatest common secular inheritance. To this extent, the broader the public knowledge, and the wider the public participation in evolutionary debate, the more healthy that inheritance will become.

As an example of this wider participation, with the encouragement of scientists such as the distinguished physicists Professor Freeman Dyson and Professor Donald Braben, I have proposed an alternative grand theory of evolution called A Silent Gene Theory of Evolution, which can be reached on the following link to the web-site silentgenetheory.com. A Silent Gene Theory of Evolution will also be published in book form in February 2009 by University of Buckingham Press and pre-publication orders can be placed currently on Amazon.

Meanwhile, the function of this blog will be to encourage wide-ranging debate not only on the theory of natural selection and silent gene theory, but other potential theories as well, such as Kimura's theory of neutral evolution.

Contributions will be subject to some degree of light editing if we believe the sense can be improved. Naturally, we will discourage insulting or abusive comments. Apart from that, our philosophy will be to allow a thousand flowers to bloom.