Lamarck was wrong about evolution. Was he right about life?
Summary
Stanford historian Jessica Riskin discusses her book, *The Power of Life*, which argues that Jean-Baptiste Lamarck’s theory of evolution was more accurate than previously believed. She explains how modern fields like epigenetics and niche construction validate Lamarck’s view that organisms actively shape their own evolution through behavior and environment. Riskin also traces the historical and political reasons why the passive, neo-Darwinist model became dominant, linking it to eugenics and environmental exploitation.
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