2000 Interview with Steven Jay Gould, Harvard University

Interviews conducted in March 2000 at the annual meeting of the American Institute of Biological Sciences on the topic of Challenges for the New Millennium. Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC. See http://www.aibs.org/media-library/ for additional AIBS conference recordings.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Steven
• Jay
• Gould
• AIBS
• biology

[dramerican]

i love this guy

[sumfamousperson17]

Why did he have to die so early?! D: We need intelligent folks like him!

[Tessmage]

@jeffreydebra1

Gould was a strong opponent of so-called "creationism." He was also a colleague (and friend) of Richard Dawkins. It would therefore be safe to assume that he had no religious beliefs.

[jeffreydebra1]

Quite brilliant.  Didn't Gould believe in evolution and the possibility of God??

[lovelplants]

great and smart man..

[kbdkbd99]

Scientists from the University of Pensylvania have confirmed Samuel Mortons "skulls" and confirmed that Mortons measurements were correct.

This is in direct contradiction to Goulds claim that Morton lied for ideological reasons, the conclusion of this being that in fact Gould lied himself for ideological reasons.

This brings into question all of Goulds work.

[zytigon]

For top philosophy of religion & sceptical analysis of Bible & religion try Robert M Price, John W. Loftus, Dan Barker, Victor J. Stenger. E.A.Wallis Budge translation of, 'The Papyrus of Ani' (1500BCE comp O.T.800-300BCE ish), Donald A. Mackenzie,' Egyptian myth and legend', James G Frazer, 'The Golden Bough', Thomas Paine, Joseph Wheless, Robert Ingersoll, C.Dennis Mckinsey, Bart Ehrman, Gary Greenberg, Richard Carrier, Valerie Tarico, Ken Humphreys, archaeologist Israel Finkelstein

[Alexdurrant7]

@KarlDaggerfield It's not really a contradiction, though, is it? To be dismissive of humans is not immediately to suggest that all humans are equally unimportant.

[3ohs0unds]

I see a man confident in what he knows, modest of his self importance and dedicated to his craft. A great scientist and natural philosopher.

[Ematched]

@KarlDaggerfield No, he just understands to an astonishing degree the place humans occupy in natural history and cosmic evolution.

[Leehofooks]

@darkprose I doubt he had any problem with it, knowing that everyone would understand that it was just a joke. According to the good people of Wikipedia, he DID request that one line be removed from the script -- a reference to him being "the world's greatest paleontologist."

[UnionKid15]

Great stuff thanks for the post.