What Darwin Never Knew

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Excellent 2 hour program. I wish Danno would have watched it but I doubt he did.

link

Earth teems with a staggering variety of animals, including 9,000 kinds of birds, 28,000 types of fish, and more than 350,000 species of beetles. What explains this explosion of living creatures—1.4 million different species discovered so far, with perhaps another 50 million to go? The source of life's endless forms was a profound mystery until Charles Darwin brought forth his revolutionary idea of natural selection. But Darwin's radical insights raised as many questions as they answered. What actually drives evolution and turns one species into another? To what degree do different animals rely on the same genetic toolkit? And how did we evolve?

"What Darwin Never Knew" offers answers to riddles that Darwin couldn't explain. Breakthroughs in a brand-new science—nicknamed "evo devo"—are linking the enigmas of evolution to another of nature's great mysteries, the development of the embryo. NOVA takes viewers on a journey from the Galapagos Islands to the Arctic, and from the explosion of animal forms half a billion years ago to the research labs of today. Scientists are finally beginning to crack nature's biggest secrets at the genetic level. The results are confirming the brilliance of Darwin's insights while revealing clues to life's breathtaking diversity in ways the great naturalist could scarcely have imagined.

[Ban Hammer 14,665]

moved by op request from pi regional to ot.

[Dr. Obvious 49]

Cool. I'll watch later.

[NickD 203]

Found that program to be incredibly interesting, the thousands of different genes we have to make up our DNA, the switches that control those genes, and how they affect us, either very positively or negatively. Gave me a different outlook on our bodies of flesh and blood that are very uniquely control by this very sophisticated structure. And how we may be able to make slight changes to it to ward of some of these terrible diseases.

Made me wish I was younger to enter this field, was into it somewhat with electronic control of our powerful machines for industrial automation, but nowhere even close to the complexity of our human bodies. A fascinating field, may talk some of my kids to entering into it.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Found that program to be incredibly interesting, the thousands of different genes we have to make up our DNA, the switches that control those genes, and how they affect us, either very positively or negatively. Gave me a different outlook on our bodies of flesh and blood that are very uniquely control by this very sophisticated structure. And how we may be able to make slight changes to it to ward of some of these terrible diseases.

Made me wish I was younger to enter this field, was into it somewhat with electronic control of our powerful machines for industrial automation, but nowhere even close to the complexity of our human bodies. A fascinating field, may talk some of my kids to entering into it.

Yeah, the segment on the controller or switch genes was really interesting. They are the only difference between a Finch embryo developing a large beak and a longer, thin beak. Watching it made me understand Darwin's observations much better.

Edited December 30, 2009 by Galt's gallstones

[Krikit 1,166]

Darn. I guess I missed it.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Darn. I guess I missed it.

Your local PBS will rebroadcast it, I'm sure since Nova is an ongoing program. I think you can also view it online.

[Nagishkaw 510]

He shared the same birthday with Abe Lincoln.

[Krikit 1,166]

I'll check the listings. Thanks Steven.

[NickD 203]

Yeah, the segment on the controller or switch genes was really interesting. They are the only difference between a Finch embryo developing a large beak and a longer, thin beak. Watching it made me understand Darwin's observations much better.

Do you think they will will us up to a computer somehow to control those switches? How about growing new teeth like crocodiles can. And I understand some women would like to have larger mammary glands. Was touched by that muscular dystrophy segment, know some people that have a son with that affliction, but never really understood the nature of that until watching this program. It's all in the genes. Where most of us get big muscles by working out, theirs just wear out and become worthless. Where's that switch?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Do you think they will will us up to a computer somehow to control those switches? How about growing new teeth like crocodiles can. And I understand some women would like to have larger mammary glands. Was touched by that muscular dystrophy segment, know some people that have a son with that affliction, but never really understood the nature of that until watching this program. It's all in the genes. Where most of us get big muscles by working out, theirs just wear out and become worthless. Where's that switch?

I think that sometime in the future, we will be able to control those switches but of course there will be ethical issues....like, should a parent choose their child's eye color?

[NickD 203]

I think that sometime in the future, we will be able to control those switches but of course there will be ethical issues....like, should a parent choose their child's eye color?

Or even some rare disease so they can get Medicaid. Or maybe it's just God's revenge because you pissed him off, but no sense in us getting into this, already have enough people that know for sure. Or at least claim to.

[mawilson 2,133]

Should a parent choose their child's eye color?

Definitely.

[Amby 490]

I will look for it online. Nova is one of my favorite programs.

[scandal 951]

Steve, I didn't see the Nova program you are referring to. But from the description, I think you should really check out Neil Shubin's excellent book "Your Inner Fish"

It's a very readable account of the way in which our genome has evolved from and is closely related to the ancestral animals from which we come. For example, as vertebrates, we share the shame genomic sequences that all other vertebrates have - including reptiles, fish and sharks. A human embryo and shark embryo at an early stage of gestation share remarkable similarities which then differentiate - in one case a node becomes a shark rib, in another it matures into the human inner ear bone. Essentially, we "evolve" within the womb. The first ~ 10 weeks of development are a "replay" of 500 million years of evolution. It's way cool stuff.

http://tiktaalik.uchicago.edu/book.html