So of course, Darwin was Jewish. Why that fact should in any way diminish the intellectual achievement of his evolution insights is beyond me. His ideas stand on their own merits and would be no less brilliant were he, say, Anglican, or someone who came to hold no religious beliefs at all.

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN ONLINE
Comment on this article at ScientificAmerican.com/jan2013

This article was originally published with the title Voyage of the Bagel.

19 Comments

1. 1. ligtenstein 03:33 AM 12/20/12

   What Mr Minsky forgot to mention is that The Origin of Species was originally written in Yiddish and translated into English by the famous Moisele Kingsley MacRabinowitz, the same who translated the American Constitution from its original Yiddish version into the the English text we are still using today. Later on MacRabinowitz became well known for his translations of Playboy, which still is translated every month from Yiddish into English to enable publication.

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2. 2. Epiphanius 10:28 AM 12/22/12

   What the heck??? I thought SA was a reputable magazine. I picked up this issue in a reception room while waiting for an appointment and read this odd article. Is SA trying to be the Onion? I liked the other articles and I was actually considering subscribing, but now I don't know whether to believe anything I read in the magazine. Also, why change the name of the article AFTER publication? It's amateur hour over there I guess...

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3. 3. Epiphanius in reply to ligtenstein 10:30 AM 12/22/12

   Is this type of article common in SA? I'm really disappointed in them.

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4. 4. firstjones 03:27 PM 12/22/12

   I guess I don't follow what this turkey is trying to say. Can someone explain?

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5. 5. mikrin in reply to Epiphanius 06:15 PM 12/22/12

   Lighten up!

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6. 6. Mythusmage in reply to firstjones 10:15 PM 12/22/12

   Loki Point! Mirsky gets a Loki Point!

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7. 7. rjrose in reply to firstjones 03:00 AM 12/24/12

   Actually, what he was trying to say is quite serious. He first reports that in Turkey there has been published a "series of books for primary schoolchildren, describing Charles Darwin as a Jew with a big nose who kept the company of monkeys and other historical figures in anti-Semitic terms." He concludes his attempt at satire by noting "So of course, Darwin was Jewish. Why that fact should in any way diminish the intellectual achievement of his evolution insights is beyond me. His ideas stand on their own merits and would be no less brilliant were he, say, Anglican, or someone who came to hold no religious beliefs at all."
   
   I hope this clears up the matter. I call it an attempt at satire, because if he was successful you would have seen his point directly. What he has to say, however, is unassailable.
   
   By the way, the title is a joke on the formula said by children at Passover "why is this night different from all other nights?"
   

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8. 8. toffer99 01:32 PM 12/26/12

   Enjoyed that, Steve. Don't let the downturned-mouth set who've shown up put you off the humour.

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9. 9. MPowers 01:05 AM 12/27/12

   I found your article quite entertaining. However, what some people in Turkey are doing amounts to spoon-feeding their children poison.

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10. 10. jasbo53 11:21 AM 12/27/12

    I'm a bit confused. My January issue arrived and it had many fascinating articles and columns but SciAm accidentally published Steve Mirsky's April column instead of the January one.

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11. 11. JNuzzi 09:36 AM 12/30/12

    PLease keep up the great work Mr. Mirsky- I never had such a good laugh and been well informed of an important issue at the same time... and some of these people... Oy vey!
    
    Happy (gentile) New Year!

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12. 12. downgoesfrasier 03:30 PM 12/30/12

    i'll know this is a serious article only when i see it reprinted in The People's Daily.

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13. 13. quadibloc 07:47 PM 1/6/13

    So Darwin wasn't really Jewish. Einstein was Jewish. Freud was Jewish. For that matter, a book was written claiming that Columbus was Jewish. But, as far as I know, it hasn't yet been alleged that Copernicus was Jewish.
    The Jewish people have contributed much more than their share to human progress, including to those scientific discoveries that have been threatening to human vanity. Even without Darwin.

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14. 14. jctyler 07:48 AM 1/8/13

    satire is an art which when intended for publication is best left to those who master it.

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15. 15. MisterA 08:40 AM 1/8/13

    I thought Americans had irony deficiency, now I know better (בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם). Never mind using a racial slur, the deeper assertion of the creationists is, don't think, just believe what we tell you.

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16. 16. Tomato Addict in reply to jasbo53 12:19 PM 1/14/13

    Any day you open SciAm to Mirsky's Anti Gravity Column is April 1st.

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17. 17. rioorion 03:44 PM 2/5/13

    All the intricate satire aside, my sister (the biologist) and i (the self-styled satirist) are having a SERIOUS dispute about the *specific* quotes cited in Mirsky's article and whether or not they are real, actual verbatim quotes... Can someone enlighten us/me with your tongue planted firmly between your teeth, not elsewhere, please !?
    Also, my sister says there's no way Darwin's original writings were jotted notes on cocktail napkins, or on sheets of the ships leisure activities, whereas i say funny haha, but still quite possibly true...
    Please help us resolve this conflict, as the stakes are high and future of the family, if not the Whole Megillah, weighs in the balance...

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18. 18. Blurg 07:08 PM 3/23/13

    This article is in very poor taste.
    It is not clear if this is satire or a serious essay.
    It is also full of racial slurs.
    Is the Scientific American changing its name to the Scientific Nazi?
    

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19. 19. MPowers 06:43 AM 3/24/13

    Blurg: It's called self-deprecating humor. It's used all the time by those who don't take themselves too seriously.

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