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Apr 10 2014

How Natural Selection Works

56 min 7 movies discussed
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While evolution gets all the spotlight for moving species into better versions of themselves, but really it's natural selection that is the engine driving the process. Learn all about this elegant scientific observation that forms the basis of life.

AI Summary

Josh and Chuck dive into the fascinating mechanics of natural selection, breaking down how this elegant process drives evolution through changes in our DNA and gene expression. They explore everything from population bottlenecks and the founder effect to why some species like sharks seem to have stopped evolving, plus they discuss Richard Dawkins' controversial "selfish gene" theory that reframed how we think about our role as vessels for genetic information. It's a mind-bending journey through one of nature's most beautiful and logical systems that'll make you see life itself in a completely new way.


Movies Discussed

Hey Dude
Hey Dude
1989
★ 6.8
"stars of the cult classic show, Hey Dude, bring you back to the days — Mentioned in a promotional segment within the podcast transcript."
Love Is Blind
Love Is Blind
2020
★ 6.2
"We're going to be talking to Nancy Rodriguez from Netflix's Love is Blind Season 3. — Mentioned in a promotional segment at the end of the podcast."
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
2004 2h 20m
★ 7.1
"It's like Metallica after the black album. Yeah. What happened? What happened Metallica? — Making a comparison about how bands change their style over time, similar to how species evolve." — Chuck
Poltergeist
Poltergeist
1982 1h 54m
★ 7.2
"Do you remember AOL Instant Messenger and the dial-up sound like poltergeist? — Comparing the sound of dial-up internet to sounds from the horror movie."
Shallow Hal
Shallow Hal
2001 1h 54m
★ 6.2
"Didn't George Costanza have a tail and was that one Jack Black, Fairlehy Brothers? Oh, yeah, yeah. Shallow howl. — Discussing vestigial traits and atavisms, specifically referencing a character who had a tail in the movie." — Chuck
The Bachelor
The Bachelor
2002
★ 5.1
"Attention Bachelor Nation, he's back. The host of some of America's most dramatic TV moments — Referenced in a promotional segment about Chris Harrison's podcast."
X-Men: Evolution
X-Men: Evolution
2000
★ 8.0
"Like the X-Men. Yeah. Very rare. Very rare mutants are. — Used as an example when discussing how rare mutations are in nature." — Josh

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