Podcasts about Alfred Russel Wallace

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 00:05:06 Is that a Ghost? Ghosts, ghouls, phantoms and apparitions. Are you living in a haunted house? This week Richard Saunders looks at some of the aspects and implications of ghosts and spirits. 0:16:48 The Book of Tim. With Tim Mendham Unnatural Selection By Tim Mendham Part 5 of 5 Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 - 1913) was an English naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist, biologist and illustrator. He independently conceived the theory of evolution through natural selection; his 1858 paper on the subject was published that year alongside extracts from Charles Darwin's earlier writings on the topic. A reading from The Skeptic, Vol. 44 No. 2 http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:26:54 Australian Skeptics Newsletter What skeptical news has caught the eye of Tim Mendham this week? Read by Adrienne Hill. http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:41:06 The TROVE Archives A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to Dorothy Allison and James Randi. 1982.06.21 - The Spokane Chronicle http://www.trove.nla.gov.au

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 00:06:40 For Crying Out Loud! This week Kat McLeod (with a little help from Adrienne Hill) interviews attendees and guests from the recent "We Can Reason" conference in Calgary, Canada. Includes Seth Andrews, Leslie Rosenblood, Brenda Hill, Forrest Valkai, Rodney Schmaltz and Lei Pinter. 0:19:04 The Book of Tim. With Tim Mendham Unnatural Selection By Tim Mendham Part 4 of 5 Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 - 1913) was an English naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist, biologist and illustrator. He independently conceived the theory of evolution through natural selection; his 1858 paper on the subject was published that year alongside extracts from Charles Darwin's earlier writings on the topic. A reading from The Skeptic, Vol. 44 No. 2 http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:27:50 Psychic Penny's Horoscopes Exclusive to The Skeptic Zone, Psychic Penny casts a horoscope and looks deep into the stars. Is your fate in her hands? This week her mystic insights for Leo, Virgo, Libra and Scorpio. 0:33:12 The TROVE Archives A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to so-called psychic detective, Dorothy Allison and James Randi. 1980.10.23 - The Ledger 1997.08.19 - The Ludington Daily News 1999.12.03 - The Banger Daily News http://www.trove.nla.gov.au Also Dr Karl - Artificial Intelligence or Artificial Idiocy? Tue, 27 May, 6pm - 7:15pm https://events.humanitix.com/artificial-intelligence-or-artificial-idiocy

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 00:05:38 You Can Count on Adrienne This week Adrienne interviews attendees and guests from the recent "We Can Reason" conference in Calgary, Canada. Includes Terrlyn Seltenrich, Janalee Morris, Leslie Rosenblood and Dr Eugenie Scott. 0:20:24 The Book of Tim. With Tim Mendham Unnatural Selection By Tim Mendham Part 3 of 5 Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 - 1913) was an English naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist, biologist and illustrator. He independently conceived the theory of evolution through natural selection; his 1858 paper on the subject was published that year alongside extracts from Charles Darwin's earlier writings on the topic. A reading from The Skeptic, Vol. 44 No. 2 http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:29:40 Australian Skeptics Newsletter What skeptical news has caught the eye of Tim Mendham this week? Read by Adrienne Hill. http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:44:40 The TROVE Archives A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to Australian Skeptics Water Divining Tests. 2001.02.07 - The Weekly Times 2001.02.14 - The Weekly Times 2001.03.14 - The Weekly Times http://www.trove.nla.gov.au

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 00:06:24 Prophecies about the Pope With a new Pope just around the corner, we review various prophetic writings about this high religious office. Will the next Pope be the last? Will Rome fall? A holy tangled web from centuries past. The Prophecies Of Nostradamus 1979 https://archive.org/details/the-prophecies-of-nostradamus-1979 0:16:26 Psychic Penny's Horoscopes Exclusive to The Skeptic Zone, Psychic Penny casts a horoscope and looks deep into the stars. Is your fate in her hands? This week her mystic insights for Aries, Taurus, Gemini and Cancer. 0:23:14 The Book of Tim. With Tim Mendham Unnatural Selection By Tim Mendham Part 2 of 5 Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 - 1913) was an English naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist, biologist and illustrator. He independently conceived the theory of evolution through natural selection; his 1858 paper on the subject was published that year alongside extracts from Charles Darwin's earlier writings on the topic. A reading from The Skeptic, Vol. 44 No. 2 http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:33:00 The TROVE Archives A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to Psychic Predictions from 1980. 1980.01.16 - The Melbourne Times http://www.trove.nla.gov.au

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 00:05:26 A Challenge to So-Called Psychics A review of the challenge to psychics, and people claiming other paranormal powers, put out by Australian Skeptics in 1984. How does this compare to 2025? https://www.skeptics.com.au/about/activities/challenge 0:20:28 The Book of Tim. With Tim Mendham Unnatural Selection By Tim Mendham Part 1 of 5 Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 - 1913) was an English naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist, biologist and illustrator. He independently conceived the theory of evolution through natural selection; his 1858 paper on the subject was published that year alongside extracts from Charles Darwin's earlier writings on the topic. A reading from The Skeptic, Vol. 44 No. 2 http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:30:26 Australian Skeptics Newsletter What skeptical news has caught the eye of Tim Mendham this week? Read by Adrienne Hill. Also hear Adrienne's insights of her travels across the Pacific Ocean and encounters with alternative medicine. http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:46:10 The TROVE Archives A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to "The New Age". 1988.12.13 - The Sydney Morning Herald 1988.10.11 - The Sydney Morning Herald http://www.trove.nla.gov.au  

In today's episode, we're joined by Kirk Wallace Johnson, the author of The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century. This gripping true-crime tale takes us into the world of rare bird feathers and the relentless pursuit of a bizarre criminal and the feathers that he stole from The Natural History Museum in Tring. Kirk's meticulous research and storytelling uncover an astonishing story of a thief, the feathers he stole, and the worldwide pursuit. So settle in, because today, we're talking to Kirk about how this all came together. As always, you have John Bates, Shannon Hackett, Amanda Marquart, and RJ Pole here for Birds of a Feather Talk Together. Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to podcast.birdsofafeather@gmail.comMake sure to follow us on Instagram, Blue Sky Social, YouTube and tik tok as well!!

Episode 212 it is - we're cruising into 1858 but wait! The sounds of gunfire! Yes, it's that old South African tune, war, set to the music of the guns. Our society is steeped in action, movement, confrontation. This is not a place for the insipid, the weak, the fearful. Whatever our belief system or our personal politics, what cannot be disputed is that the country and our ways are those of the warrior. This is an uncomfortable truth for metropolitans who are more used to single latte's than sling shots. Globally, 1858 is full of momentous events and incidents. It was the year in which Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace present their papers on evolution by natural selection in London. In India, a peace treaty ends the Indian Rebellion and later in the year the British parliament passes the Government of India Act. This transfers the territories of the British East India Company and their administration to the Direct Rule of the British Crown. The great stink in London led parliament to a bill to create modern sewerage system after the dreadful odours wafting about the British capital during the summer. Another young girl dreams up appiritions in the mode of Nongqawuse who dreamed up the cattle Killings - this time its Bernadette Soubirous who claims she saw several appritions appeared before her in the southern French town of Lourdes. Without going into too many gory details, around Ash Wednesday a woman appeared before her inside a grotto and after three appearances over time, began to talk. By October, the government had shut down the grotto there were so many people pitching up to take part in what was called a miracle. A miracle only she could see. Strange how these stories in this period repeated themselves. Back in Africa, David Livingstones six-year long second Zambezi expedition arrived on the Indian Ocean coast. Which is an important moment because inland, the tension between the Boers of the Free State and King Moshoeshoe of Basutoland had been exacerbated. A drought was reported in the region in 1858 which exacerbated everything. The Volksraad met in February 1858. They were faced with a request for help to deal with Posholi signed by a field-cornet and sixty five other burghers in the disputed area.Later in February 1858 Smithfield Landdrost Jacobus Sauer sent more news from the badlands - Posholi was, in his words, parading through Smithfield district with warriors and when accosted, said he was on a hunting expedition. When the Commando eventually gathered, there were one thousand armed and mounted Boers. Which was exactly ten percent the size of the Basotho force of ten thousand, all mounted with at least five hundred firearms. Back at the Thaba Bosiu ranch, Moshoeshoe was a sea of calm. It was now war and the king along with the territorial chiefs and councillors, put their plans into motion. They'd faced this kind of attack before, the British had raided them in 1852 if you recall. That had ended in disaster for the empire, so Moshoeshoe was not rattled by the latest assault on his independence.

Episode 212 it is - we're cruising into 1858 but wait! The sounds of gunfire! Yes, it's that old South African tune, war, set to the music of the guns. Our society is steeped in action, movement, confrontation. This is not a place for the insipid, the weak, the fearful. Whatever our belief system or our personal politics, what cannot be disputed is that the country and our ways are those of the warrior. This is an uncomfortable truth for metropolitans who are more used to single latte's than sling shots. Globally, 1858 is full of momentous events and incidents. It was the year in which Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace present their papers on evolution by natural selection in London. In India, a peace treaty ends the Indian Rebellion and later in the year the British parliament passes the Government of India Act. This transfers the territories of the British East India Company and their administration to the Direct Rule of the British Crown. The great stink in London led parliament to a bill to create modern sewerage system after the dreadful odours wafting about the British capital during the summer. Another young girl dreams up appiritions in the mode of Nongqawuse who dreamed up the cattle Killings - this time its Bernadette Soubirous who claims she saw several appritions appeared before her in the southern French town of Lourdes. Without going into too many gory details, around Ash Wednesday a woman appeared before her inside a grotto and after three appearances over time, began to talk. By October, the government had shut down the grotto there were so many people pitching up to take part in what was called a miracle. A miracle only she could see. Strange how these stories in this period repeated themselves. Back in Africa, David Livingstones six-year long second Zambezi expedition arrived on the Indian Ocean coast. Which is an important moment because inland, the tension between the Boers of the Free State and King Moshoeshoe of Basutoland had been exacerbated. A drought was reported in the region in 1858 which exacerbated everything. The Volksraad met in February 1858. They were faced with a request for help to deal with Posholi signed by a field-cornet and sixty five other burghers in the disputed area.Later in February 1858 Smithfield Landdrost Jacobus Sauer sent more news from the badlands - Posholi was, in his words, parading through Smithfield district with warriors and when accosted, said he was on a hunting expedition. When the Commando eventually gathered, there were one thousand armed and mounted Boers. Which was exactly ten percent the size of the Basotho force of ten thousand, all mounted with at least five hundred firearms. Back at the Thaba Bosiu ranch, Moshoeshoe was a sea of calm. It was now war and the king along with the territorial chiefs and councillors, put their plans into motion. They'd faced this kind of attack before, the British had raided them in 1852 if you recall. That had ended in disaster for the empire, so Moshoeshoe was not rattled by the latest assault on his independence.

This week we close out with our final thoughts on the Feather Thief, as well as talk about the importance of museums and their collections. It's our last episode before we talk to the author Kirk Wallace Johnson, so get ready for next week. This week we talk a little bit about obsession in general, and how it is human nature to become obsessed, whether it was Alfred Russel Wallace, or even Edwin Rist. It's important to channel that obsession into something positive because it can go dark really quick. We start off talking about the accomplice in the book named Long, and whether or not he was manipulated by Edwin. We'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming discussing different birds soon enough. Once back, we are kicking it off with episodes on the Harlequin Duck and the Mourning Dove. So get ready for those in a couple weeks. 

  Dr. Olivia Cacchione, a musicologist, sat with Patrick in the parlor to discuss her current work and study of music and sound in Victorian seances. Olivia also shared about years of uncomfortable out-of-body experiences and hearing voices that led to her being diagnosed with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. Plus skepticism, haunted listening, enchantment, possibility vs. disbelief, Victorians and the accordion, the channeled music of Rosemary Brown, and asking the question, “How does music haunt us?” Visit BigSeance.com/257 for more info. Other Listening Options Direct Download Link   In this episode: Intro :00 Dr. Olivia Cacchione studies the sounds of ghosts and hauntings throughout history. She's a musicologist who earned her PhD at Northwestern University and received a Mellon Fellowship to conduct her extensive archival research across England and America. She is currently working on a book that highlights the role of music and sound in Victorian seances. Olivia's dissertation examined the cultural history of hearing, questioning how music haunts us, with an emphasis on the lived experience of the Victorian-era spiritualist séance. She covered Daniel Dunglas Home's accordion, the Davenport Brothers' musical cabinet, and lesser known mediums like Jennie Lord, who practically invented the musical seance. And Olivia wants you to know that she has a cat who is proudly named Madame Blavatsky. You can learn more about Olivia Cacchione and her work by visiting welcometotheseance.com. :45 What is a musicologist? 2:02 From harp performance to a PhD in musicology. 3:44 Patrick once again nerds out about the theremin. 6:12 More on where this interest in Victorian Spiritualism came from, and the pushback from her colleagues regarding her chosen area of study. 7:32 Hearing Voices. “When I was 15, I began ‘hearing things.' It took me ten years to receive a diagnosis of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.” 10:51 Olivia's voices and out-of-body experiences. Are they paranormal? Or are they just symptoms of her diagnosis? 15:24 Enchantment. 16:45 “[The episodes were] very dark and quite scary, actually.” 18:05 Possibility vs Disbelief. 19:03 Victorian Spiritualists and Seances. For Victorians, it was really dark at night! 21:49 Haunted Listening. 27:56 Patrick reminisces about experiences years ago with his “rapper” from doing EVP research and experiments. 29:28 “How does music haunt us? What does it mean to be haunted, mesmerized, enchanted, or spellbound by a work?” 32:24 Check out Jerry Goldsmith's score for the 1985 film, The Explorers. 35:40 “[Victorians] simply had a different relationship with music.” 39:09 Music as a trigger. 41:11 Victorians and the accordion. 42:47 Residual music from the Bird Cage Theatre. 43:57 A Musical Seance featuring Rosemary Brown, who claimed to channel music from the great composers. 46:01 Alfred Russel Wallace. 48:28 “Before I was diagnosed, I absolutely thought, 'Maybe I'm psychic.' I wanted to lean in that direction with it.” 50:07 “People hear what I'm studying and they immediately want to tell me their own ghost stories. And you realize just how many people have ghost stories, and I love hearing them.” 51:12 Olivia's final thoughts. 54:40 Outro 56:27   Resources welcometotheseance.com     The Big Seance Podcast can be found right here, on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio, and YouTube. Please subscribe and share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me at Patrick@BigSeance.com. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on my SpeakPipe page! I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the seance!  

Welcome back to Part 5 of our exploration of the book The Feather Thief. We discuss the horrific act that's still causing ripples in the world of museums. We'll also take a closer look at the role museum collections play in science—a subject misunderstood by some fly-tiers in the book. We also talk about how museum specimens drive scientific progress. We'll also touch on some of the oddball research requests museums have received over the years, including one inquiry about the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker.We begin with a brief talk into Shannon's thoughts on Canadian-American relations, particularly the threats of tariffs, before drifting into a discussion on precious metals and their unexpected influence on foreign policy decisions. But don't worry—it's all over in a flash, and then, it's back to The Feather Thief and all its intrigue.As always, you have John Bates, Shannon Hackett, Amanda Marquart, and RJ Pole here for Birds of a Feather Talk Together. Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to podcast.birdsofafeather@gmail.comMake sure to follow us on Instagram, Blue Sky Social, YouTube and tik tok as well!!

En 1858, Darwin reçoit une lettre d'un jeune naturaliste gallois, Alfred Russel Wallace, qui travaille à Bornéo. Wallace demande l'avis de Darwin sur ses travaux qui - Darwin en tombe de sa chaise -  aboutissent aux même conclusions ! Wallace prie Darwin de transmettre le document, s'il le trouve satisfaisant, à Lyell, un éminent géologue de cette époque (cf épisode 2/8). Darwin est désespéré, aux abois. Faut-il transmettre le texte de Wallace et perdre le bénéfice de 20 ans de travaux ? Faut-il publier ses propres textes en doublant Wallace sans le lui dire ? Darwin, loyal et bienveillant, coupe la poire en deux. Les textes seront présentés comme cosignés et lus devant l'éminente Société linnéenne de Londres. Ce sera le premier séisme scientifique, celui qui annoncer la publication de l'origine des espèces en 1859. Cette publication va faire tomber l'homme du piédestal sur lequel il s'était installé. Une révolution sans précédent depuis la découverte de la gravitation par Newton._______ 

Our adventure through the pages of the book The Feather Thief continues! We're thrilled to have Jason Weckstein join us again. Jason is an enthusiastic fly fisherman and fly-tier, and also an amazing ornithologist. He joined us last week, and is back with even more laughs, stories, and an extraordinary depth of insight into the quirky worlds of both fly tying and bird watching.We dive into one of the birds mentioned in the book: the Argus Pheasant. Shannon has some captivating info about these birds' remarkable feathers, and the unique way that they produce the color blue. We also get into the similarities and differences between fly-fishing and birdwatching. Jason is an Associate Curator of Ornithology at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University and Associate Professor in the Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University. As always, you have John Bates, Shannon Hackett, Amanda Marquart, and RJ Pole here for Birds of a Feather Talk Together. Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to podcast.birdsofafeather@gmail.comMake sure to follow us on Instagram, Blue Sky Social, YouTube and tik tok as well!!

We are doing a mini-series on The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson. This week we have a very special guest, Jason Weckstein, join us for a conversation about the intricacies of fly-tying. Jason is not only an avid fly fisherman and fly tier but also a passionate ornithologist. Jason is an Associate Curator of Ornithology at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University and Associate Professor in the Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University. Join John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Marquart for Birds of a Feather Talk Together. Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to podcast.birdsofafeather@gmail.comMake sure to follow us on Instagram, Blue Sky Social, YouTube and tik tok as well!!

Roger Pasquier's Birds at Rest is the first book to give a full picture of how birds rest, roost, and sleep, a vital part of their lives. It features new science that can measure what is happening in a bird's brain over the course of a night or when it has flown to another hemisphere, as well as still-valuable observations by legendary naturalists such as John James Audubon, Alfred Russel Wallace, and Theodore Roosevelt. Much of what they saw and what ornithologists are studying today can be observed and enjoyed by any birder.Support the showConnect with me at... GoodReads: Hannah Buschert IG: @HannahgoesbirdingFacebook: @HannahandErikGoBirdingEmail us at HannahandErikGoBirding@gmail.comWebsite: http://www.gobirdingpodcast.comGet a discount at Buteo Books using code: BIRDNERDBOOKCLUB

We're doing something a little different—a mini-series focused on the book The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson. The book is part true crime, part cultural exploration, and it digs into the themes of obsession, beauty, and the lengths people will go to for something they can't possess. It's one of those true stories that's so bizarre, you couldn't make it up if you tried. In 2009, someone broke into the British Museum of Natural History, stealing hundreds of rare bird skins. He did it all to fuel his obsession with fly-tying for fly-fishing—a hobby very niche, but has a secret society on the dark web. This is for birders, nature-lovers, museum buffs, and true-crime fans alike. We are doing a mini-series that will break down parts of the book, and to sum it all up will be talking with the author Kirk Wallace Johnson. Join John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Marquart for Birds of a Feather Talk Together. Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to podcast.birdsofafeather@gmail.comMake sure to follow us on Instagram, Blue Sky Social, YouTube and tik tok as well!!

We're stepping away from our usual routine to dive into something a bit different—The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson. This is a story of a museum heist, someone who stole rare bird skins from a museum in order to sell them on the dark web to fly-fisherman. Two of our hosts, John Bates and Shannon Hackett, are curators at the Field Museum in Chicago, making them perfect guides to unravel this strange and captivating story.We'd love for you to join us by picking up a copy of the book and reading along. We'll be offering behind-the-scenes insights into the world of museum work and its bird collections—you won't want to miss a word.For those who haven't had the chance to read it yet, we thought we'd share the prologue, which sets the stage for the book's, dark, and twisted tale. The reading of the prologue is the only part of the book that we'll be reading aloud in this mini-series. Our regular lineup—John, Shannon, Amanda, and RJ —will be back for the rest of the episodes. And we'll be joined by ornithologist and fly-tier Jason Weckstein for a few chats along the way. Then we'll cap it all off with an interview with the author himself, Kirk Wallace Johnson. So, sit back, relax, grab your binoculars, and enjoy the prologue!

How do birds build their nests? By instinct, of course—at least that's what the conventional wisdom tells us. A swallow builds a swallow's nest; a robin builds a robin's nest. Every bird just follows the rigid template set down its genes. But over the course of the last couple decades, scientists have begun to take a closer look at nests—they've weighed and measured them, they've filmed the building process. And the conventional wisdom just doesn't hold up. These structures vary in all kinds of ways, even within a species. They're shaped by experience, by learning, by cultural tradition. When we look at a bird's nest, we're looking at the product of a flexible mind.   My guest today is Dr. Susan Healy. Sue is a Professor in the School of Biology at the University of St Andrews and an expert in birds—their behavior, their cognition, and their evolution. For more than a decade now, Sue has been pioneering a new chapter in the study of birds' nests.    Here, Sue and I talk about some of the most impressive nests (as well as some of the least impressive). We do a bit of Birds' Nests 101—the different forms they take, the functions they serve, which sex does the building, how these structures evolved, and more. We dig into the mounting evidence that birds are in fact quite flexible in their building practices, that they learn from others and from their own experience. We discuss recent evidence from Sue's team that cultural traditions shape the weaver nests of the Kalahari. And we talk about what nests might have in common with songs and tools. Along the way, we touch on: pigeon nests and hummingbird nests, dinosaur nests and chimpanzee nests; Alfred Russel Wallace; commonalities in the techniques of human weavers and weaver birds; whether bird personality might be reflected in nest style; the brain basis of nest-building; and a whole lot else.    Hope you enjoy this one, friends. On to my conversation with Dr. Sue Healy.    A transcript of this episode will be available soon.   Notes and links 2:30 – An example of a post on the (seemingly inadequate) nests of pigeons.  7:30 – An article featuring a variety of weaverbird nests. 10:30 – Alfred Russel Wallace's essay on birds' nests is available here.  15:00 – A paper from another branch of Dr. Healy's work, on hummingbirds.  16:00 – The 1902 book by Charles Dixon on the science “caliology.” 17:00 – An example of research done by the Colliases on weavers.  19:00 – For an up-to-date primer on birds' nests—covering a number of the questions we discuss here—see Dr. Healy's recent primer. 22:30 – An article about hummingbird eggs.  28:30 – A paper by Dr. Healy and colleagues on the use of human materials in birds' nests. Our episode on animal medication is here.  31:30 – An article about bowerbirds and how they decorate their bowers. 35:00 – An article on the evolution of birds' nests, covering the question of what dinosaur nests were like.  43:00 – A paper by Dr. Healy and colleagues on the impact of temperature and earlier breeding success on nest size. 51:00 ­– For more discussion of personality in animals, including in clonal fish, see our episode with Kate Laskowski.  55:00 – A study by Dr. Healy and colleagues showing that zebra finches build nests that match the color of the walls.  58:00 – A study by Dr. Healy and colleagues looking at how zebra finches learn aspects of nest-building from familiar individuals. 59:00 – A study by Dr. Healy and colleagues, led by Maria Tello-Ramos, about architectural traditions in an African sociable weaver species.   1:07:00 – An article by Michael Arbib, Dr. Healy, and colleagues on connections between tool use, language, and nest-building.  1:11:00 – An initial study on the brain basis of nest-building in zebra finches. A further study on the same topic.  1:12:30 – A paper by Hopi E. Hoekstra and colleagues on the genetics of burrow-building in deer mice.   1:14:00 – An exploration of the idea that humans initially learned their weaving skills from weaver birds.    Recommendations Books by Mike Hansell (see here, here, and here) Birds' nests, Charles Dixon Avian architecture, Peter Goodfellow Animal architects, James Gould & Carol Gould   Many Minds is a project of the Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute, which is made possible by a generous grant from the John Templeton Foundation to Indiana University. The show is hosted and produced by Kensy Cooperrider, with help from Assistant Producer Urte Laukaityte and with creative support from DISI Directors Erica Cartmill and Jacob Foster. Our artwork is by Ben Oldroyd. Our transcripts are created by Sarah Dopierala.  Subscribe to Many Minds on Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also now subscribe to the Many Minds newsletter here! We welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions. Feel free to email us at: manymindspodcast@gmail.com.    For updates about the show, visit our website or follow us on Bluesky (@manymindspod.bsky.social).

WoooOOOOOoooOOOOOoooo, it's that time of year again! It's Halloween, so it's time for The Studies Show hosts to face their fears, and read the research from one of the weirdest areas of science, parapsychology.This time it's all about psychic mediums. What does it mean to test whether someone can talk to the dead? Are we any better at doing it now than we were 100 years ago at the height of “spiritualism”? And what do the most recent results tell us about the existence of the afterlife?Happy Halloween!

Tim Mendham discusses the person who worked with Darwin on the ideas of evolution and natural selection. So why do few know of him?

Episode: 2530 The observation is evolution & the theory is natural selection.  Today, what did Darwin really do?

La ligne de Wallace est une frontière biogéographique invisible mais très significative qui sépare deux grandes régions écologiques distinctes en Asie du Sud-Est : l'Asie continentale et l'Australasie. Cette ligne traverse l'archipel malais, passant entre les îles de Bali et Lombok, puis entre Bornéo et Sulawesi, et enfin entre les Philippines et l'archipel des Moluques. Elle marque une séparation nette entre les espèces animales et végétales de ces régions alors que ces iles sont plus proche que la France continentale ne l'est de la corse ! Origine et découverte :La ligne de Wallace a été nommée d'après Alfred Russel Wallace, un naturaliste britannique du XIXe siècle qui a mené des explorations en Asie du Sud-Est et a observé une démarcation nette dans la faune de cette région. Wallace a remarqué que les animaux trouvés à l'ouest de la ligne (comme sur Bali et Bornéo) étaient principalement d'origine asiatique, incluant des tigres, des éléphants et des primates, tandis que ceux trouvés à l'est (sur Lombok, Sulawesi, et plus loin vers la Nouvelle-Guinée et l'Australie) ressemblaient davantage aux espèces australiennes, telles que les marsupiaux et les oiseaux de paradis. Importance biogéographique :La ligne de Wallace est une illustration frappante de la théorie de la biogéographie, montrant comment les barrières géographiques influencent la distribution des espèces. Cette ligne reflète les profondes différences écologiques entre les régions : les îles à l'ouest de la ligne faisaient autrefois partie de la masse continentale asiatique, tandis que celles à l'est sont reliées à l'Australie par des terres émergées pendant les périodes glaciaires. Cette séparation géologique a empêché le mélange des espèces malgré leur relative proximité géographique. Barrière écologique :La ligne de Wallace correspond à une zone de profondeurs marines qui n'ont jamais été recouvertes de terre, même pendant les périodes où le niveau des mers était beaucoup plus bas. Cette barrière marine a empêché les espèces de traverser facilement d'un côté à l'autre, limitant ainsi le mouvement des animaux terrestres et des plantes. Implications scientifiques :Les découvertes de Wallace ont été cruciales pour le développement des théories sur l'évolution et la sélection naturelle, qu'il a développées en parallèle avec Charles Darwin. La ligne de Wallace reste un concept fondamental en écologie, biologie de la conservation, et en biogéographie, illustrant comment des barrières naturelles peuvent façonner la diversité des espèces sur Terre. En résumé, la ligne de Wallace est plus qu'une simple frontière écologique ; elle est un témoignage de millions d'années d'évolution distincte et montre comment la géographie influence profondément la distribution de la vie sur notre planète. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

On this ID the Future episode out of the vault, science historian Michael Flannery concludes his conversation with host Michael Keas about his book Intelligent Evolution: How Alfred Russel Wallace's World of Life Challenged Darwin. Wallace was co-founder with Charles Darwin of the theory of evolution by random variation and natural selection. Unlike Darwin, however, he saw teleology or purpose as essential to life's history, and a teleological view as essential to the life sciences. According to Flannery, Wallace's views on the nature of the cell, the special attributes of humans, the irreducible nature of life, and the fine tuning of the universe hold up well today. He and Darwin disagreed on much of this, yet they maintained a mutual Read More › Source

Is Lemuria a real place, or the fever dream of crackpots, mystics, conspiracy theorists, and Bigfoot hunters? Below the waters where the Pacific and Indian Oceans lies a lost continent. One of hopes and dreams that housed a race of beings that arrived from foreign planets and from which sprang humanity, religion, civilization, and our modern world. It was called Lemuria and it was all fake. What began as a theoretical land bridge to explain the mystery of lemurs on Madagascar quickly got hijacked to become the evolutionary home of humankind, the cradle of spirituality, and then the source of cosmological wonders. Abandoned by science as hokum, Lemuria morphed into a land filled with ancient, advanced civilizations, hollowed-out mountains full of gold and crystals, moon-beings descending in baskets, underground evil creatures, and a breast-feeding Bigfoot. The history of Lemuria is populated with a dizzying array of people from early Darwinists to conspiracy spouting Congressmen, globetrotting madams, Rosicrucians, Hollow-Earthers, sci-fi writers, UFO contactees, sleeping prophets, New Age channelers, a “Mother God”, and a tequila swigging conspiracy theorist. Historian Justin McHenry provides a thoughtful exploration of how pseudo-science hijacked the gentle Victorian-era concept of Lemuria and, in following decades, twisted it into an all-encompassing home for alternative ideas about race, spirituality, science, politics, and the paranormal. Justin McHenry is a writer, historian, and archivist. His writing has appeared in magazines such as FATE, newspapers, journals, and various online publications like Belt Mag, 100 Days of Appalachia, and he edited the collection of stories, The Garden at Rose Brake. He received his Master's degree in History from West Virginia University. His new book is Lemuria: A True Story of a Fake Place. Shermer and McHenry discuss: how organisms get to islands from mainlands • how lemurs get to Madagascar • rafting sweepstakes vs. land bridges. • Alfred Russel Wallace and Island biogeography • Zoologist Philip Sclater • Ernst Haeckel to Hitler • Alexander von Humboldt • Johann Wolfgang von Goethe • Land of Mu and Atlantis • Ignatius Donnelly, Atlantis • Madame Blavatsky • Hermes Trismegistus and Hermeticism, Rosicrucians • pseudohistory, pseudoarchaeology and mythology.

Hoy retomamos los monográficos dedicados a grandes exploradores y llegamos a uno que bien pudo ser el artífice de la teoría de la Evolución, Alfred Russel Wallace, aunque los avatares del destino quisieron que fuera Darwin el que se llevara la (polémica) gloria de teorizar la cuestión. En cualquier caso, Wallace fue también naturalista, geógrafo, antropólogo y biólogo, y dedicó buena parte de su larga vida a viajar por la Amazonía brasileña y el archipiélago malayo documentando un buen número de especies animales. La siguiente propuesta viene de la mano de nuestra antropóloga Noemi Villaverde. Llega enfadada ante la enésima noticia sobre la tribu Bajau, en Indonesia, que habla de sus capacidades cuasi mutantes para bucear una barbaridad de tiempo. Esta entrega de Una Antropóloga en la Luna, por tanto, nos habla de algo más sencillo: de la diversidad humana. En la repetición, daremos un salto de varios años para recuperar una entrevista que realizamos tras nuestro directo en Barcelona en 2017, con miembros de Barcino Oriens. Se trata de Silvia Mozo y de Joan Carles Canela, ornatrix y agrimensor respectivamente. Hablaremos por tanto de aquellas esclavas dedicadas a maquillar, peinar y ornamentar a sus amas y amos, y es que no olvidemos que la buena imagen de los patricios era algo fundamental en la alta sociedad romana. En la misma charla, sabremos de otra profesión, la de la agrimensura, que se dedicaba a cuestiones como parcelar los terrenos que Roma conquistaba así como a otras obras civiles o la planificación de los campamentos de las legiones. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

El pasado 8 de enero se cumplieron 200 años del nacimiento de Alfred Russel Wallace, naturalista, explorador, geógrafo, antropólogo y biólogo británico que ha pasado a la historia de la ciencia por haber propuesto una teoría de evolución a través de la selección natural independientemente de la de Charles Darwin, lo que motivó a este para publicar su propia teoría. Con motivo de este aniversario, el Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales del CSIC ha organizado la exposición titulada “Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913). Biogeografía y Evolución”. En "Más cerca" (Radio 5) hemos hablado con Borja Milá, comisario de la muestra. Escuchar audio

O naturalista inglês morreu há 110 anos.

Though they disagreed scientifically about the nature of human beings, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace maintained a lasting friendship. On this episode of ID The Future from the vault, we continue to celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of Alfred Russel Wallace. Host Mike Keas concludes his three-part discussion with Michael Flannery about Flannery's book Nature's Prophet: Alfred Russel Wallace and His Evolution from Natural Selection to Natural Theology. Here, Flannery describes the tolerance Darwin and Wallace maintained for each other, a quality crucial to the spirit of science and academic inquiry. He notes that some contemporaries of Darwin lacked this spirit of professional civility, including Darwin's "bulldog" Thomas Henry Huxley. Flannery also relates his experiences at the 2nd Annual International Conference on Alfred Russel Wallace. The paper he presented raised some eyebrows and inspired students and fellow Wallace scholars alike, some of which were entirely unaware of Wallace's natural theology. Both Keas and Flannery hold out hope that the same spirit of tolerance Darwin and Wallace demonstrated can be emulated today by Darwin's defenders and critics. Source

2023 marks the bicentennial of the birth of Alfred Russel Wallace, co-founder with Charles Darwin of the theory of evolution by natural selection. Unlike Darwin, Wallace thought that biology, chemistry, and cosmology proclaimed clear evidence of intelligent design. With this episode of ID the Future from the vault, we celebrate the life and achievements of one of the godfathers of intelligent design. Host Michael Keas continues his conversation with historian Michael Flannery about his book Nature's Prophet: Alfred Russel Wallace and His Evolution from Natural Selection to Natural Theology. When Wallace broke with Darwin in 1869, it was over the nature of human beings. Flannery explains how Wallace became convinced of an “overruling intelligence” in nature — a cause sufficient to explain the special attributes of human beings: their facility with mathematics, their propensity toward abstract thought, their love of dance, their appreciation of music, and more. "All of these uniquely human attributes do not have per se any survival advantage in nature," says Flannery. "So...they can't be relied upon by Darwin's own principle of utility to be things which developed via natural selection. They have to come from some other source." And while some may claim Wallace's view is just a "gap" argument, Flannery notes that it's instead a positive argument calling on a cause sufficient to explain the special attributes of human beings. This is Part 2 of a 3-part conversation. Source

2023 marks the bicentennial of the birth of Alfred Russel Wallace, co-founder with Charles Darwin of the theory of evolution by natural selection. Unlike Darwin, Wallace thought that biology, chemistry, and cosmology proclaimed clear evidence of intelligent design. On this episode of ID the Future out of the vault, we're celebrating the life and achievements of one of the godfathers of intelligent design. Host Michael Keas begins a conversation with historian Michael Flannery about his book Nature's Prophet: Alfred Russel Wallace and His Evolution from Natural Selection to Natural Theology. The book traces the intellectual history of Wallace, who is credited with independently proposing the theory of evolution by natural selection. Darwin insisted on a purely materialistic version of the theory, but as Wallace studied the evidence, he grew convinced that intelligent design also played a role in the history of life, particularly in the origin of humans. Though not a religious person, he broke with the rising scientism of his day to argue that there must be some “overruling intelligence” behind nature. This is Part 1 of a 3-part interview. Source

We're exploring the epic life of Alfred Russel Wallace; adventurer, naturalist and co-discoverer of natural selection. Biologist and author, Jim Costa, recounts the life of this often forgotten founding father of evolution.Full show notes, transcript and references online at GeneticsUnzipped.com Follow us on Twitter @GeneticsUnzipThis episode of Genetics Unzipped was written, presented and produced by Emma Werner and Sally Le Page.This podcast is created by First Create the Media for the Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies dedicated to promoting research, training, teaching and public engagement in all areas of genetics.

Vaccination – Proved Useless and Dangerous from Forty Five Years of Registration Statistics This early work by Alfred Russel Wallace was originally published in 1893, and we are now republishing it. “Forty-five Years of Registration Statistics, Proving vaccination to be both Useless and Dangerous” is a letter in which Wallace outlines his reasons for being...

Discover the legacies of some of the most influential women in the paranormal field. Sharing the stories of over 35 groundbreaking women in a male-dominated field, paranormal researcher Alex Matsuo excavates the buried legacies of women in the paranormal who were often overshadowed and almost forgotten in her book, 'Women of the Paranormal Volume I.' From paranormal investigators to parapsychologists to psychic mediums to cryptozoologists, you'll discover an incredible world where women not only inspired the paranormal world, but set the very foundation for modern-day investigation and psychic practices. My Special Guest is Alex Matsuo Alex Matsuo is a paranormal researcher, social media influencer, and author. She is the founder of the Association of Paranormal Study and runs “The Spooky Stuff.” If it's weird, spooky, unusual, scary, macabre, or haunted, she wants to write and talk about it! Alex was recently seen on the third season of Haunted Hospitals in Episode 12 titled, “It Followed Me Home.” The episode can be seen on Discovery Plus!. She has also been seen on Travel Channel's “Most Terrifying Places in America.” In addition, she is the host of the podcast, The Spooky Stuff. Alex has written several books about the paranormal including, The Hamptonville Hauntings: Ghosts of the Trivette Clinic, One Bed Over: A Hospital Haunting, The Brave Mortal's Guide to Ghost Hunting, The Haunting of the Tenth Avenue Theatre, More than Ghosts: A Guide to Working Residential Cases in the Paranormal Field, and The Haunted Actor. Her latest book, Women of the Paranormal Volume I, is now available. Eleanor Sidgwick Most of Eleanor's writings related to psychical research, and are contained in the Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research. Eleanor was highly critical of physical mediumship and in 1886 and 1887 a series of publications by S. J. Davey, Richard Hodgson and Eleanor in the Journal for the Society for Psychical Research exposed the slate writing tricks of the medium William Eglinton. Eleanor regarded Eglinton to be nothing more than a clever conjurer.  In 1891, Alfred Russel Wallace requested for the Society to properly investigate spirit photography. Wallace had endorsed various spirit photographs as genuine. Eleanor responded with her paper On Spirit Photographs (1891) which cast doubt on the subject and revealed the fraudulent methods that spirit photographers such as Frederic Hudson, William H Mumler and Édouard Isidore Buguet had utilised. Aiko Gibo The renowned Japanese psychic, Aiko Gibo, was one of the first to create a ghost hunting segment on TV. She came to visit The Real Mary King's Close while making a film about the haunted places of Britain. When it came to stepping inside a room off Allan's Close, she could barely enter the 17th-century room for the pain and unhappiness she could feel there: ‘I cannot enter this room… it is too strong… there is a child beside me, her little hand is clutching my trouser leg. I… I just cannot go into this room… she was separated from her parents. She wants to go home and see her family… her desire haunts this place very strongly.' In this episode, you will be able to: 1. Delve into some of the lives and legacies of some of the incredible women featured in the book. 2. Discover some of the reasons why these women were overlooked and forgotten. 3. Explore the place women have had in the paranormal field. If you value this podcast and want to enjoy more episodes please come and find us on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/Haunted_History_Chronicles⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to support the podcast, gain a wealth of additional exclusive podcasts, writing and other content. Links to all Haunted History Chronicles Social Media Pages, Published Materials and more:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://linktr.ee/hauntedhistorychronicles⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guest Links:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ http://www.alexmatsuo.com http://amazon.com/stores/author/B00I4JEKR8 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hauntedchronicles/message

Guest: James T. Costa is professor of biology and executive director of the Highlands Biological Station at Western Carolina University. He is the author of Radical by Nature: The Revolutionary Life of Alfred Russel Wallace. The post Radical By Nature:The Life of Alfred Russel Wallace appeared first on KPFA.

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with James Costa about the life of Alfred Russel Wallace. They discuss the radical and revolutionary nature of Wallace, his inquisitiveness about nature since an early age, apprenticeship, trip to the Amazon, and scientific publications. They also talk about his trip to Asia, the interactions with Darwin, spiritualism, social justice, his legacy, and many more topics.James Costa is an entomologist and evolutionary biologist who is professor of biology and executive director Western Carolina University-Highlands Biological Station. He has co-taught in Harvard's summer Darwin program at the University of Oxford and has been a long-time Research Associate in entomology at Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology. His main interests and research are on Darwin, Wallace, and the history of evolutionary thinking. He is the author of numerous books including the most recent book, Radical By Nature: The Revolutionary Life of Alfred Russel Wallace. Website: https://jamestcosta.com/Twitter: @jimcostahbs This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit convergingdialogues.substack.com

Join us this week as we discuss the Birds of Paradise. From their mating rituals, to their exotic dancing, to a bird specimen that may have been found by Alfred Russel Wallace himself. John and Shannon's knowledge of the Birds of Paradise is truly fascinating, as we jump in to learn more. We love to hear from our fans! Please submit mailbag questions at podcast.birdsofafeather@gmail.com and we'll answer your question on the next episode. Thank you for listening!

En el imaginario colectivo la teoría de la evolución está íntimamente ligada a la figura de Charles Darwin. Técnicamente, en realidad, la idea de que las especies cambian ya estaba en el aire antes de Darwin, y lo que éste propuso fue el mecanismo que da lugar a esos cambios: la selección natural. Pero ¿y si os decimos que Darwin no fue el único que tuvo esta idea? No sólo eso: Darwin se animó a publicar sus descubrimientos porque otra persona había llegado a las mismas conclusiones. Esta otra persona es Alfred Russel Wallace, otro naturalista inglés mucho menos conocido, y que llegó a las mismas conclusiones por un camino sorprendentemente similar al de Darwin. En el episodio de hoy os contamos su historia: la de los dos hombres que descubrieron la selección natural. Para ello contamos con la ayuda de Juli Peretó, bioquímico, profesor en la Facultat de Biologia de la Universitat de València e investigador en el Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas, un centro mixto de esa universidad y el CSIC. Este programa se emitió originalmente el 27 de abril de 2023. Podéis escuchar el resto de audios de Más de Uno en la app de Onda Cero y en su web, ondacero.es

Alfred Russel Wallace: Letters and Reminiscences, Vol. 2

What was the creative process of Alfred Russel Wallace? In this séance, we channel the legendary self-taught evolutionary biologist, founder of the field of biogeography, and co-discoverer of natural selection. Mr. Wallace (as he insists to be called) told us how he did night science by candlelight during long and lonely nights on his travels in the tropics, and how he prefers to ponder the big questions. He sees himself as an early data scientist, identifying patterns in data – in particular in the study of beetles, with both him and Darwin afflicted by beetlemania. He feels that he has an advantage over Darwin because of his less fancy and less structured education: while Mr. Darwin was force-fed the then-current world view, Mr. Wallace was free to read the books that excited him. This episode could not have been recorded without Mr. Wallace speaking through the  voice of a medium who knows his life and works in exquisite detail: Dr. Andrew Berry, lecturer for evolutionary biology at Harvard.For more information on Night Science, visit https://www.biomedcentral.com/collections/night-science .

On today's ID the Future, geologist Casey Luskin continues to unpack his recently published essay against the view that humans evolved from ape-like ancestors via blind Darwinian processes. In this episode he shares his experience of walking into the fossil hall at South Africa's famous Maropeng Museum and immediately being confronted by a piece of shameless materialist propaganda, a Richard Dawkins quotation prominently displayed as part of a floor-to-ceiling display. The quotation insisted that humans are essentially just DNA survival machines. Luskin says, not so fast, and points out the various ways such a view fails to explain important aspects of human behavior, including altruistic behavior toward non-kin. Luskin and host Eric Anderson also call evolutionary theory to task for being Read More › Source

This month marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of an English biologist, naturalist and explorer who helped develop the theory of evolution in the middle of the 19th century. No, we're not talking about Charles Darwin, but rather his contemporary Alfred Russel Wallace. Joining us to talk about Wallace's life, his blue plaque and the role he played in the development of evolutionary theory, is Senior Historian for the blue plaques scheme, Howard Spencer, and Head Gardener at Home of Charles Darwin – Down House, Antony O'Rourke. To learn more about our blue plaques scheme, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/blue-plaques To plan a visit to Down House, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/downhouse

Psychic Investigators: Anthropology, Modern Spiritualism, and Credible Witnessing in the Late Victorian Age (U Pittsburgh Press, 2022) examines British anthropology's engagement with the modern spiritualist movement during the late Victorian era. Efram Sera-Shriar argues that debates over the existence of ghosts and psychical powers were at the center of anthropological discussions on human beliefs. He focuses on the importance of establishing credible witnesses of spirit and psychic phenomena in the writings of anthropologists such as Alfred Russel Wallace, Edward Burnett Tylor, Andrew Lang, and Edward Clodd. The book draws on major themes, such as the historical relationship between science and religion, the history of scientific observation, and the emergence of the subfield of anthropology of religion in the second half of the nineteenth century. For secularists such as Tylor and Clodd, spiritualism posed a major obstacle in establishing the legitimacy of the theory of animism: a core theoretical principle of anthropology founded in the belief of "primitive cultures" that spirits animated the world, and that this belief represented the foundation of all religious paradigms. What becomes clear through this nuanced examination of Victorian anthropology is that arguments involving spirits or psychic forces usually revolved around issues of evidence, or lack of it, rather than faith or beliefs or disbeliefs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Psychic Investigators: Anthropology, Modern Spiritualism, and Credible Witnessing in the Late Victorian Age (U Pittsburgh Press, 2022) examines British anthropology's engagement with the modern spiritualist movement during the late Victorian era. Efram Sera-Shriar argues that debates over the existence of ghosts and psychical powers were at the center of anthropological discussions on human beliefs. He focuses on the importance of establishing credible witnesses of spirit and psychic phenomena in the writings of anthropologists such as Alfred Russel Wallace, Edward Burnett Tylor, Andrew Lang, and Edward Clodd. The book draws on major themes, such as the historical relationship between science and religion, the history of scientific observation, and the emergence of the subfield of anthropology of religion in the second half of the nineteenth century. For secularists such as Tylor and Clodd, spiritualism posed a major obstacle in establishing the legitimacy of the theory of animism: a core theoretical principle of anthropology founded in the belief of "primitive cultures" that spirits animated the world, and that this belief represented the foundation of all religious paradigms. What becomes clear through this nuanced examination of Victorian anthropology is that arguments involving spirits or psychic forces usually revolved around issues of evidence, or lack of it, rather than faith or beliefs or disbeliefs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Psychic Investigators: Anthropology, Modern Spiritualism, and Credible Witnessing in the Late Victorian Age (U Pittsburgh Press, 2022) examines British anthropology's engagement with the modern spiritualist movement during the late Victorian era. Efram Sera-Shriar argues that debates over the existence of ghosts and psychical powers were at the center of anthropological discussions on human beliefs. He focuses on the importance of establishing credible witnesses of spirit and psychic phenomena in the writings of anthropologists such as Alfred Russel Wallace, Edward Burnett Tylor, Andrew Lang, and Edward Clodd. The book draws on major themes, such as the historical relationship between science and religion, the history of scientific observation, and the emergence of the subfield of anthropology of religion in the second half of the nineteenth century. For secularists such as Tylor and Clodd, spiritualism posed a major obstacle in establishing the legitimacy of the theory of animism: a core theoretical principle of anthropology founded in the belief of "primitive cultures" that spirits animated the world, and that this belief represented the foundation of all religious paradigms. What becomes clear through this nuanced examination of Victorian anthropology is that arguments involving spirits or psychic forces usually revolved around issues of evidence, or lack of it, rather than faith or beliefs or disbeliefs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology

On this ID the Future from the vault, Professor Emeritus Michael Flannery (U of Alabama-Birmingham) continues discussing evolutionist Kenneth Miller's book The Human Instinct: How We Evolved to Have Reason, Consciousness, and Free Will. Flannery suggests that Miller's “theistic evolution” is more precisely Darwinian theism — and that such a marriage is as ultimately hopeless as squaring the proverbial circle. Part 1 is here. Source

Alfred Russell Wallace is the most famous scientist that you've never heard of. We talk about his work, the Wallace Line, and how he inspired Darwin.

Hank Hanegraaff is joined by Neil Thomas to discuss his book Taking Leave of Darwin: A Longtime Agnostic Discovers the Case for Design. Neil Thomas was a committed Darwinist and agnostic — until an investigation of evolutionary theory led him to a startling conclusion: “I had been conned!” As he studied the work of Darwin's defenders, he found himself encountering tactics eerily similar to the methods of political brainwashing he had studied as a scholar. Thomas felt impelled to write a book as a sort of warning call to humanity: “Beware! You have been fooled!” For more information on receiving Taking Leave of Darwin: A Longtime Agnostic Discovers the Case for Design for your partnering gift click here. https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-cri2110hup/Topics discussed include: What led Neil Thomas to question his acceptance of Darwinian evolution? (7:45); the wide-ranging and significant impact of the Darwinian paradigm (10:15); scientific bias against deism and towards materialism (14:00); how did Darwin gain acceptance of his theories? (16:10); the false antagonism between religion and science—naturalism vs. the miraculous (18:50); was Darwin a fundamentalist? (23:40); the fossil record and the Darwinian paradigm (28:20); Darwinian delusions (30:40); the 1953 Miller-Urey experiment (33:30); the rising popularity of Panspermia (37:45); the unfair accusations of pseudoscience attached to the work of Intelligent Design advocates (40:40); Darwin, Chomsky and how linguistics impact evolutionary theory (44:00); the complexity of the human brain (47:20); how consciousness convinced Alfred Russel Wallace to disagree with Darwinism (50:55); racism, sexism and eugenics as ramifications of social-Darwinism (54:45); materialistic magic in the Darwinian paradigm postulating that something can come from nothing (1:01:00); the privileged planet (1:05:25); how do you explain the rising popularity of the multiverse theory? (1:09:00); what is the mystery of mysteries? (1:13:30); the humility of Einstein as opposed to the hubris of many academic elites (1:16:45); the limits of materialistic explanations (1:19:00); the great historical irony of many post-enlightenment thinkers today (1:22:15); does Intelligent Design make more sense than materialism in an age of scientific enlightenment? (1:23:45). Listen to Hank's podcast and follow Hank off the grid where he is joined by some of the brightest minds discussing topics you care about. Get equipped to be a cultural change agent.Archived episodes are on our Website and available at the additional channels listed below.You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on.