by CSJoshi

“What is evolution?”, you might ask. To put it simply, evolution is simply some kind of change in the traits which are passed on to the next generation. There are three known processes which drive evolution. Gene flow, genetic drift and natural selection. Natural selection is the one Darwin emphasised and is more commonly taught in schools. I risk grossly simplifying the process but I will try and summarise it in a paragraph. There are three driving forces behind natural selection; reproduction, variation and selection. Whenever an organism reproduces, DNA interactions result in changes in the genes which produce an offspring which is slightly different from the parent. Selection occurs when beneficial changes are preserved while harmful changes are eradicated. This happens on a spectrum and is also subjective to the environment. Detrimental changes may not kill off an individual but may put it at a disadvantage when it comes to reproduction. Eventually, with the accumulation of changes, a new species may arise. I like the Hindi phrase “tinka tinka ikattha karke” roughly translating to putting things together bit by bit, since it quite describes the process nicely.

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by CS Joshi

The 200^th Anniversary of Charles Darwin's Birth and the 150^th of the first edition of ‘On the Origin of Species’, have revived[1] the age old Creationism (or Intelligent Design according to preference) versus Evolution debate. The contestants are often religious folk who can be anyone from uneducated pastors to science professors, versus other scientists, school teachers and concerned parents. The religions involved, of course, often refer to the Judeo-Christian-Islamic conglomerate. Hinduism, comparatively, has almost turned a blind eye to the debate with the notable exception of ISKCON supporting the creationist viewpoint[2]. There are various reasons why this has been the case.

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