Sunday, January 15, 2012

Quote of the day: Matt Cartmill on evolutionary laws

From the inimitable Matt Cartmill:

"The trick in discovering evolutionary laws is the same as it is in discovering laws of physics or chemistry-namely, finding the right level of generalization to make prediction possible. We do not try to find a law that says when and where explosions will occur. We content ourselves with saying that certain sorts of compounds are explosive under the right conditions, and we predict that explosions will occur whenever those conditions are realized."

Paleoanthropology: Science or Mythical Charter? (2002: 193)