Misconceptions about evolution: why species, not individuals, evolve

My first exposure to evolution came through Pokémon. I can recall watching in awe as a creature became enveloped in an aura and morphed into a new monster. It looked something like this:

As you and I both know, this is not how evolution works. Aside from a protein named after Pikachu (Pikachurin), Pokémon does not offer a faithful lesson in biology. While evolution has become required in most classrooms in the US and the rest of the world, many misconceptions about the most established fact in science abound. In this new segment I will address the most common of these misunderstanding. Have any questions of your own? Please suggest them in the comments or message me directly. Enjoy!

Your brain is a liar and can’t be trusted

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Ever heard the saying “Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear?” It’s a fun and useful rule of thumb. Who hasn’t seen or heard something outlandish every now and then? What may come as a surprise, though, is how accurate this statement is. Mounting evidence suggests that our brains are not as trustworthy as they lead us to believe.

Look at this screen. It’s bright and colorful (and is filled with awesome posts you should totally like and share). But what if I told you that what you see might not actually be there? Unknown to most, the human eye has a blind spot—a rather sizable one, in fact. The area where the optic nerve connects to the eye lacks light receptors, leaving it unable to gather information. As strange as it may seem, you have two gaping holes in your vision.

Close your left eye and look at the plus sign. Slowly move your head toward the screen, keeping your eye on the plus sign. When the elephant enters your blind spot, it will disappear.

What is fear?

BOO! Did that scare you? Probably not. There’s nothing scary about reading the word “boo.” Under certain circumstances, however, the word “boo” could be quite frightening. What makes things scary? Why are we afraid? Evolutionary psychologists think they might have the answer.

Happy Halloween from The Weekly Show!

Fear is a reaction to a perceived danger or threat. Often called a “fight-or-flight” response, fear causes a person to confront the danger or flee to safety. Scientists consider the emotion a result of natural selection—individuals averse to threats survive at a higher rate than their fearless counterparts, allowing them to reproduce and pass their genes to future generations. Basic examples of fear include the urge to hide from monsters or run away from hungry lions.

This is one scary kitty.