They hypothesize that “multiple discoveries” happen not only often, but every time. Some scientists, however, have gone a step further. Well, consider something historians of science refer to as “ simultaneous invention.” It happens so often that hardly any Nobel Prize (other than the one in literature) is awarded to a single person. In other words, the theories of gravity and evolution would have been formulated by someone else if not by one of these three. As exceptional as they may seem to you – he says triumphantly – they were nothing more but a case of the right person at the right time. You can’t possibly be saying that! After all, they were great men, and, if nothing else, they are responsible for some giant evolutionary leaps!īut, Matt Ridley is merciless. But, leadership, culture, religion – even these?Īnd what about personality, morality, the mind? Now, you’ve got to be kidding me!Īnd yes, even technology and the Internet.īut, you just mentioned Darwin, Wallace, Newton! You want me to believe that they didn’t do nothing special.
The universe, the life, genes – OK, that’s physics and biology and pretty much expected! The economy, the education, the government – I see your point, and you can make a case of it. A quick glance at the contents of Ridley’s book shows that he intends to stop at nothing! “The Evolution of Everything” comprises of a prologue and an epilogue and sixteen standalone chapters, which cover the evolution of… well, everything. We think we have some control over the processes which govern progress – but, no, we don’t! Just like each and every species, everything we see around us evolves in an incremental, unplanned manner. His argument: because that’s the way everything works. After all, just look at the title of his book! He can’t get enough of evolution. Suddenly, we started seeing patterns and realized that the theory of evolution can be applied to many fields of human knowledge.Īnd Matt Ridley isn’t a kind of person who would argue this. They found evidence that the natural world, with all its beauty and complexity, created itself, through an ages-long process of “trial and error.” Namely, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace uncovered something even more fascinating than God. If the universe worked like a clockwork mechanism, then it’s only natural that we supposed that someone had built this machine.īut, about two centuries ago, an unexpected thing happened. In fact, when Isaac Newton formulated the laws of motion and gravitation, he was convinced that he had uncovered the ultimate evidence of intelligent design. After all, everything looked so orderly and beautiful that this seemed like a no-brainer.!
He has written several well-received scientific books, including “ The Red Queen,” and “ The Rational Optimist.” “The Evolution of Everything Summary”įor the most part of human history, the majority of people genuinely believed that a supreme being created the universe. in zoology in 1983, before becoming a science editor for “The Economist” and a regular columnist for “The Telegraph.” Matt Ridley is a British biologist and writer, a peer in the House of Lords since 2013. But, be warned: don’t come unprepared for this trip. It would make an even better read if you like to read about evolution and similar concepts. Matt Ridley claims that this happens haphazardly, in an unplanned manner.Īnd you should give heed to his words if you want to know more about how the present world was shaped. There are so many things which contribute to their formulation and even more which turn them into theories and trends. Good ideas don’t just happen in isolation. Who Should Read “The Evolution of Everything”? And Why? Why don’t we just let Matt Ridley tell you a thing or two. What you don’t know is that evolution may be responsible for everything else, whether it’s language or government. How New Ideas Emerge, aka How Small Things Transform the Worldīy now, you already know that evolution is how all life came to be on this planet.
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