The existence of scientific entities

[lazybratsche]

@Darwin_s_Finch

Actually, selfish genes are a pretty lousy way to learn genetics, and the idea was conceived at a time before much of anything was really known about genes as entities. The concept of the selfish gene was intended by Dawkins as a model to explain how altruism (Dawkins was an ethologist by training, not a geneticist) might arise through natural selection, for which it does help…sort of.

I agree. My statement that the selfish gene concept is “pretty useful” is itself a lie-to-children. Off the top of my head, I’d say that the usefulness of Dawkins’ writings on the topic does not extend past the average Bio 101 class.