"Classic" forest plots show the effect sizes from individual studies and the aggregate effect from a meta-analysis. However, in ecology and evolution, meta-analyses routinely contain over 100 effect sizes, making the classic forest plot of limited use. We surveyed 102 meta-analyses in ecology and evolution, finding that only 11% use the…

The origin of life is one of the most interesting and challenging questions in biology. This article discusses relevant contemporary theories and hypotheses about the origin of life, recent scientific evidence supporting them, and the main contributions of several scientists of different nationalities and specialties in different disciplines. Also…

In the context of the distinction between normative and descriptive approaches to the relationship between science and religion, this article discusses the recent work of the sociologist Elaine Ecklund. It reviews four of her published outputs, summarising her data concerning the views of religious people and professional scientists, including…

Research reproducibility is essential for scientific development. Yet, rates of reproducibility are low. As increasingly more research relies on computers and software, efforts for improving reproducibility rates have focused on making research products digitally available, such as publishing analysis workflows as computer code, and raw and…

Nested hierarchical structure is one of life's most familiar properties and a major component of biological diversity and complexity. However, there is little effort to teach the evolution of the hierarchy of life, as there is little effort to teach biological complexity per se. We propose a framework for teaching biological complexity based on…

During the 1930s there was a significant shift in the debate about African colonial education. Above all, somewhat discreetly hidden behind the formal language of the educational documents, is the question of the challenge presented to the traditional literary/religious missionary curriculum, or even to the "adaptationist" debate about…

This paper reflects on how the issue of climate change and the general state of our planet is, among other causes, a main factor in the paralyzing divisions ailing Western societies. This situation, while unsettling to democracies, is promoting a kind of education "in" and "through" fear and I question if education can succeed…

Though argumentation is a key component of scientific knowledge construction practices, it rarely occurs in classrooms worldwide. Moreover, related literature in the context of genetics and evolution learning primarily addresses them separately. In contrast, this paper is part of broader research on genetics and evolution instruction taught…