As the oldest, flattest, most arid continent on Earth, Australia has largely resisted the encroachment of humans. Even now, its people are largely confined to the coastal fringes, and their grip on its heartland is often tenuous. Any further deterioration of the global climate will slash Australia’s meagre carrying capacity more savagely than other continents. Meanwhile, as… Continue reading →
Axiom: “Humans are the only animals that make and use complex tools, and this talent sets them apart from the rest of the animal world” . . . Wrong! Very few people are aware that we share our planet with a tiny toolmaker whose daily survival hinges on a hand weapon of such sophistication that… Continue reading →
“If the Hamersley iron deposits did not exist, then neither would we.” The massive deposits of iron ore upon which Australia’s economy so heavily depends hold vastly greater significance for us and for our species than mere money can begin to define. Most humans now live in cities and use steel motor vehicles and rail systems to… Continue reading →
In the clear, cold creeks that slide out of the eucalyptus forests of south-western Australia there lives a little-known fish of extraordinary evolutionary significance. Embedded in its ancient genetic code is a talent for survival that sets it among evolution’s elite. Even in Australia, where genetic antiquities abound, it has few peers. This seasoned campaigner… Continue reading →
Evolution timescale A diagram of the geological and biological time scale showing the major milestones in the 4.6 billion-year life of our planet. Download Evolution timescale the full diagram
Evolution is the process by which organisms diversify. It enables them to harvest energy from sources that lie beyond the reach of their competitors. “Evolution is not progress, It’s just middle-age spread!” Download the full diagram.
DNA is subject to an overriding mastercode in the form of hydrogen-loaded carbon tags that are attached at various points along the side rails of the double helix. These carbon tags (CH3) determine whether or not particular genes or groups of genes are available for transcription. Their pattern of attachment is known as methylation and… Continue reading →
‘Many long-term observers of creationist organizations must have been struck, as I have been, by the evolution of creationism over the years from crude early prototypes to the more refined and successful descendants around us today. Ironically, the gradual modification and adaptive radiation of creationism in its many guises mimics the very process that is… Continue reading →
Like witchcraft and astrology, Intelligent Design is not underpinned by testable data. The underlying belief systems are unfalsifiable, non-predictive and based on nothing more substantial than imagination and wishful thinking. They might entertain, but they dont feed brains that seek reliable information. Download the full article as a pdf Like witchcraft and astrology, Intelligent Design… Continue reading →
Australia is the time capsule of the planet. No other continent has so faithfully preserved the early milestones in Earth’s geological and biological evolution. The story embedded in its rocks and in the genes of its modern plants and animals recounts most of the seminal events that shaped the Earth’s present biosphere and its opulent… Continue reading →
As a by-product of genetic evolution, the birth of our species is inextricably linked to the evolution of the planets biosphere and its dazzling biota. The Diary of You unfolds this sequence of biological mile-stones as a uniquely personal narrative. The 4.6 billion-year life of the planet has also been matched here against a one-year… Continue reading →
