The mirror of physics: on how the Price equation can unify evolutionary biology

Due to its high degree of complexity and its historical nature, evolutionary biol‐ ogy has been traditionally portrayed as a messy science. According to the supporters of such a view, evolutionary biology would be unable to formulate laws and robust theories, instead just delivering coherent narratives and local models. In this article, our aim is to challenge this view by showing how the Price equation can work as the core of a general theoretical framework for evolutionary phenomena. To support this claim, we outline some unnoticed structural similarities between physical theo‐ ries (in particular, classical mechanics) and evolutionary biology. More specifically, we shall argue that the Price equation, in the same way as fundamental formalisms in physics, can serve as a heuristic principle to formulate and systematise different theories and models in evolutionary biology.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Planning and the Paradox of Conscious Purpose

Since the discovery of fire, and in the past 7,000-10,000 years with the development of agriculture and the establishment of fixed settlements, the evolution of human culture has been the reverse of that of organic systems

How to Manage Migratory Pests and Potential Food Crises

Locusts are a threat to agriculture and livelihoods in many countries globally. The economic, social, and environmental consequences of these highly migratory pests are so substantial that they are treated as a national priority by many countries; several international commissions have been established to unite efforts. This Special Issue aims to shed light on some overarching questions: what have we learned from historical outbreaks; how serious is the threat; what research is ongoing and is needed to better manage these insects; how should the world respond to plagues today, especially in the context of climate change; are recommended preventive strategies really effective and what are the constraints to their application; and is there a possibility to make better use of biological alternatives to chemical pesticides

Sustainability in design: now! Challenges and opportunities for design research, education and practice in the XXI century

Copyright @ 2010 Greenleaf PublicationsLeNS project funded by the Asia Link Programme, EuropeAid, European Commission

Ethnicity and social class in Mesoamerica

This thesis is a theoretical discussion of ethnicity and social class in Mesoamerica, which seemed both necessary and desirable because of the uncertainty prevailing on the subject. Its overall aim is to clarify the present state of theory on ethnicity, class and their articulation. In order to accomplish this I analyse and compare contrasting social anthropological tendencies. First, those which interpret the social characteristics of the region by emphasising ethnicity (culturally interpreted) at the local level and while disregarding the structural framework of the class at the wider level; second, those which in contrast, stress the role of the wider class structure while neglecting ethnic relationships at the local level; and third, those which combine both dimensions, interpreting local, ethnic phenomena within the framework of class. The main advantages and disadvantages of these approaches are discussed in order to determine which of them offers the most satisfactory view of the importance and articulation of ethnicity and class in Mesoamerica, a subject which is fundamental to a proper understanding of the current social and political instability of the region. The thesis is in three parts. The first provides the historical antecedents of the central theme. Here I describe the concept of Mesoamerica and give an account of prehispanic social development, criticising some of the theories which try to explain the basic social features of ancient Mesoamerican societies. The analysis then focuses on the changes brought about by Spanish rule, on the emergence of ethnic groups and on the ethnic and class characteristics of popular reaction against Spanish domination. The subsequent Independence period is discussed and the principal socioeconomic and political changes accompanying capitalist expansion are documented. Special attention is paid to the class and ethnic character of popular responses to the new social order in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Following the historical background, the other two parts analyse theories dealing with the relationship between ethnicity and class. Part Two examines two 'simple' and antagonistic interpretations, the "ethnic/cultural/local-level" and the "class/structural/wider-level" approaches. Part Three is devoted to more complex perspectives which attempt to combine both approaches. This has resulted in two different models: that which postulates, and that which opposes, the correspondence of ethnic and socioeconomic boundaries. Through the critical analysis developed in Parts Two and Three and synthesised in the general conclusions, I suggest how a more adequate theoretical approach to this complex subject might be formulated

Macroevolution: Explanation, Interpretation and Evidence

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio