EVO: Ten Questions Everyone Should Ask About Evolution

The title of John Feldman's documentary might suggest an assault on Darwinian thought: in fact, one of the 10 questions posed here involves the longstanding battle between Darwin's theory and proponents of creationism (aka, “intelligent design”). But the position here is unequivocal, noting that the courts have decided that objections to Darwin's ideas are religious rather than scientific and should have no place in curricula. EVO does an extraordinary job of explaining Darwin's famous theory of evolution by natural selection, beginning with a brief biography of the 19th-century naturalist before detailing—through interviews with scientists and philosophers, backed by nature footage and animated segments—Darwin's argument, its implications, and how his ideas have been (and are still being) developed by his successors. Fundamental questions such as how species emerge and what creates variations within them (as well as more advanced topics like symbiogenesis and punctuated equilibrium) are precisely and elegantly addressed. Informative but not pedantic, lucid without becoming simplistic, this is easily one of the best documentaries on the thorny subject of evolution. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)