Description

TED-Ed, as always, has developed an engaging cartoon video with a brilliant Cell narrator.  The video starts with early, and wrong, naturalistic theories of evolution, like Lamarckism.  It then discusses the oft misunderstood phrase ‘survival of the fittest’ and the ‘selfish gene’.  Other misconceptions include the importance of reproduction over survival, that individuals don’t evolve on their own, and the blind ‘purpose’ of evolution.

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think there are so many misconceptions about Evolution?
• What is Lamarckism?
• What does ‘survival of the fittest’ mean?
• Does evolution have a purpose?  How are genes actually ‘selfish’ and want to evolve?

Keywords: evolution, Lamark, Lamarkism, misconceptions, natural selection, selfish gene, purpose,