Cheap Evolution Boxed Set (DVD) (Evolution) Price

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Customer Reviews of Evolution Boxed Set

The PBS 7-part primer on the theory of Evolution
Everybody knows that when it comes down to the final question in a game of Trivial Pursuit that they should make me try and answer a science question because I know pretty much nothing about science and nature. This is because the one thing I knew about high school biology was that you dissected animals and being sick in front of the smartest girls in school did not appeal to me at all. So I took Life Through the Microscope (it involved drawing) and Ecology (it was the only class that fit my schedule) and missed out on Biology, Chemistry and Physics. However, since I did my dissertation on the infamous Scopes "Monkey" Trial I do have something of an interest in the controversy over evolution if not the concept itself. This seven-part series exploring various facets of evolution was perfect so someone like me who insists on having theory of any sort mixed with a heavy dose of practice.

"Evolution" is as much about the profound impact the evolutionary process has had on our understanding of the world around us as it is on the various versions of the theory that have been expounded in scientific textbooks for the past century. The series basically focuses on five key concepts regarding evolution, sandwiched between episodes that constitute a dramatic introduction and a controversial coda:

"Darwin's Dangerous Idea" offers dramatizations of key moments in Darwin's life along with contemporary talking heads explaining the profound implications of the evolutionary theory and the place it holds in the scientific community today as a pivotal concept. It takes a while to adjust to the episodic approach of the dramatizations, which come and go without a real sense of regularity, but since they dramatized the famous retort of Huxley to Bishop Wilberforce and other key moments in the popularization of evolution there is a certain effectiveness to it all. What you get from this episode is a better idea of what the initial complaints were to evolutionary theory and who was making them.

"Great Transformations" explores the evolutionary changes that caused the incredible diversity of animal life that exists on earth. The focus is on the development of the four-limbed body plan, which is explained in the context of how animal life moved from water to land and eventually to human beings, thereby answering the key question of why are human connected to all life.

"Extinction!" represents the flip side of evolutionary transformations, explaining the how and why behind the fact that 99.9 percent of all species that have ever lived on earth are now extinct. This leads to the provocative question as to whether human beings are going to cause the next mass extinction on the planet.

"The Evolutionary Arms Race" puts the entire concept of natural selection and survival of the fittest in the context of humanity's battles with microorganisms, looking at a case study regarding the reemergence of tuberculosis in Russian prisons. With the alarming spread of resistance among pathogens that cause disease, the episode explains how this particular "race" offers the major threat to human existence. The scary question here is whether we are fighting a battle we cannot win.

"Why Sex?" makes the contention that in evolutionary terms sex is more important than life itself. But on a more pragmatic level is addresses the question of whether males are necessary to perpetuate the species, looking at a wide variety of case studies drawn from nature. This episode also explains the principle of monogamy in evolutionary terms.

"The Mind's Big Bang" addresses the question of why humans are the dominant species on earth. The answer is found in the past, when something happened to primitive humans to trigger a creative, technological, and social explosion, which ultimately allowed humans to dominate the planet. The episode tries to uncover (literally) the primitive forces that contributed to the emergence of the mind of the modern human being.

"What About God?" is the coda to the series in that it returns to the initial question of Darwin's day regarding the conflict between evolution and religion. The debate is presented within the context of a college student whose family is not happy with what he is learning about evolution at Wesleyan College, a group of high school students trying to get their local school board to allow the teaching of creationism, and the activities by adults on both sides of the question to win this pivotal battle. I consider the episode to be remarkably even-handed, but then I do not think there is an inherent conflict between the two, which invalidates my opinion for true believers on both sides.

Overall I like the fact that "Evolution" goes for depth rather than breadth. The case studies, at least to my uneducated mind, come across as being representative of the issue under discussion. The DVD series also features access to the Evolution Web site with its interactive games, activities, and biographies, so those who would like to get additional information and insight on any one of these topics can easily do so. There are also student lessons for teachers who want to work these episodes into their science classes and a printable teacher's guide (remember, "Evolution" was produced by WGBH Boston, which means we are talking--surprise--public television).

Review the DVD, not the theory
I read through the reviews of this set and I am disappointed to see that several of the reviewers...took this opportunity to preach their hatred (or fear?) of evolution rather than just reviewing the DVD. Here is what I think of the DVD: It is beautifully filmed at times. It covers the subject of evolution better than any TV series I have ever seen, though it doesn't go into the depth that you might find in a college course or even a lot of popular books on evolution--like Daniel Dennet's "Darwin's Dangerous Idea". But the DVD doesn't put me to sleep like the books do. It is entertaining enough to keep you awake through a subject most of us slept through in school. I would have liked to see at least a passing mention of differing scientific opinions, such as the Aquatic Ape Theory or perhaps something about Punctuated Equilibrium, but I suppose that is too much for a PBS series. Nevertheless, I rate this series a step below "Cosmos" and "Life Beyond Earth" but higher than almost anything else that I have seen on PBS. This is a very good series, well worth owning.
I must respond to a few misleading assertions of the reviewers I mentioned at the beginning of this review:EVOLUTION IS NOT A THEORY. Evolution is a fact. That the mechanism of evolution is a process known as Natural Selection--that is the theory. Evolution is observed in the fossil record; fact. Natural Selection explains the observation; theory. As for the "fossil record lacking transitional forms", you obviously didn't watch the part about transitional whales--whales with four legs, whales with only two legs, modern whales. There are hundreds of known transitional forms, and more being found all the time. And in defense of Daniel Dennet (who seems to be hated almost as much as Darwin), I have read his book "Darwin's Dangerous Idea" and I assure you he does not "seriously" propose putting Baptists in concentration camps. I'm surprised to learn that an adult could take his book that way.
One final thing, scientific people, like me, should not attack religious Christians. It was not by coincidence that modern science began in Christian Europe. Without a certain amount of freedom to question long-held beliefs, modern science could never have begun. And Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Darwin and even Einstein would have made their marks in some field other than science, if at all. Christians are not backwards people. If they really practice the teachings of Jesus Christ, they are the kind of profound, incredibly enlightened people that this world needs more of--but they are still wrong about evolution.