CategoryReviews

Is the human behavior of rape an evolutionary adaptation or a violent byproduct of social learning?

I

This article addresses the debate over whether rape is an evolutionarily adaptive behavior or simply a byproduct of violent learning, exploring the adaptability of rape from an evolutionary perspective and concluding that it cannot be ethically justified.   The book Darwin’s Table, written by South Korean professor Daeik Jang, brings together prominent scholars to debate whether male...

Are genes just survival machines, or can epigenetics redefine what it means to be human?

A

Epigenetics by Richard C. Francis and The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins explore the nature of genes and the possibilities of epigenetics. While Dawkins argues that genes use humans as survival machines, epigenetics shows that gene expression can be suppressed by environmental factors. The possibility that environmental factors can alter genetic traits and modify survival strategies, as in the...

Can genetically engineered personalized babies reconcile human morality and social good?

C

Advances in genetic engineering technology have made “personalized babies” a reality, but this raises important questions about human moral values and ethics. While some people are concerned about excessive parental agency and undermining social values, others believe that legal regulation can help establish bioethics, prevent diseases, and reduce social costs.   A “designer baby” is a baby...

Will we become self-destructive ‘intelligent designers’ and lose our identity, leading to an unimaginable future?

W

As we remake ourselves with advanced biotechnology, robotics, and artificial intelligence, we are in danger of losing our identity as Homo sapiens. This book is a warning about whether the technologies we create will propel us forward or redefine our existence and lead to our demise.   How long can we, humans, live? Death is always around the corner in our lives. We can die for a variety of...

Book Review – Pasteur’s Quadrant (Why application-oriented basic science should be the new paradigm for modern scientific research)

B

Pasteur’s Quadrant: Basic Science and Technological Innovation, by Donald E. Stokes, explores the need for application-oriented basic science and the roles of scientists, research evaluation systems, and the state in establishing it, and criticizes the side effects and ambiguity of the criteria.   The Pasteur Quadrant, or Pasteur Quadrant, refers to “use-inspired basic science” that is...

Why do some birds reproduce by laying eggs and others accept them? (Selfish Genes and Evolutionary Stabilization Strategies)

W

This article draws on Dawkins’ theory of selfish genes and evolutionary stabilization strategies (ESS) to explain why some birds reproduce by laying eggs, and why birds that have been laid care for them as if they were their own. He explores the possibility that the ESS strategy may extend to interspecies interactions, shedding light on the survival strategies of genes through the trade...

Why is Beccaria’s Crime and Punishment important to the reform of the penal system in the 18th century and to modern society?

W

Beccaria’s Crime and Punishment had a major impact on the development of the modern criminal justice system by criticizing the harsh punishment practices of 18th-century Europe and proposing a rational, public-interest penal system that aimed to deter and prevent crime and replaced cruel punishment with rational, public-serving punishment.   Cesare Beccaria’s Crime and...

In Albert Camus’ The Stranger, why does Morceau reject social conventions and morals and live as a stranger?

I

  In Albert Camus’ The Stranger, the protagonist, Meursault, rejects social conventions and morals, living in the present without regard for emotions and religion. Because of this attitude, he is not understood at his trial and is ultimately marginalized as a stranger and sentenced to death.   Introduction Albert Camus’s The Stranger is a mesmerizing story of the glorious...

Book Review – Darwin’s Oracle (Does Evolution Mean Progress?)

B

Evolution is the process by which living things change gradually over long periods of time. Dawkins argues that living things have increased in complexity and adaptability, which he views as progress. Gould, on the other hand, acknowledges that some organisms have increased in complexity, but not all. The theory of evolution explains the changes in living things from different perspectives...

Book Review – The Quantum Story (Why are interpretations of quantum mechanics misleading?)

B

This article discusses why interpretations of quantum mechanics, especially the Copenhagen interpretation, are misunderstood by the public and scientific students. The lack of understanding of the wave-particle duality and complementarity concepts, as well as the neglect of philosophical aspects in physics education, are pointed out as key factors, and the importance of education to address these...