The First Post

I've always considered it something of a tragedy that I (and perhaps all humans) have such a strong tendency to vow to do something yet never get around to it. For instance, I've always wanted to write a book on aquarium-keeping (and maybe do something with those years I've spent with reef aquaria), but after a few months, I have yet to get past the introduction.

Oh well...

There's another thing that's always bothered me: as a scientist, I simply cannot stand when lay people butcher science. Sometimes the problem is one of ignorance, but sometimes the motivations are more sinister. Regardless, such instances always send me into a flying rage. And what better way to deal with that than to blog about it? As an educator, I must view every scientific snafu as a chance for further instruction, and perhaps this blog will allow me to share my own, insignificant insights with the rest of the world.

Perhaps a little background is in order. I'm a biologist, and I focus specifically on evolution and ecology (and I consider the two inextricably linked). I also have the unfortunate habit of getting onto the Conservapedia (www.conservapedia.com is always good for a laugh), where the anti-science movement lives strong. Oh, the stories I could tell...but that's for another time. I'm also getting ready to embark on the final leg of my journey towards my Ph.D., and every day I get new insights into science that I simply cannot resist sharing.

Readers might be curious about the name of the blog: The Discontinuous Mind. It is an homage to my favorite scientific author, Richard Dawkins, and an idea that he develops in The Ancestor's Tale (which is, by the way, an extremely good read). Put simply, the "Tyranny of the Discontinuous Mind" is the natural tendency of humanity to place things in categories, especially where none exist. We have a hard time accepting the fact that species A can evolve to species B along a lineage of varieties which are, on their own, part of the same species. It's a problem I face every time I teach taxonomy to my zoology students, and there is no end to the challenges faced by the discontinous mind.

That, and some of the "science" I read simply makes my mind fall to pieces. That's the stuff I'll be sharing with my readers.