As an evolutionary biology PhD student in the year 2026, I’m just chiming in to say that students in the field are still being introduced to the ideas of Gould, specifically punctuated equilibrium and Spandrels. I don’t think it’s fair to call his reputation “mud”. Gould has also been introduced as a relevant player in 2 ongoing debates: (1) adaptation vs. neutral theory and (2) whether evolution is progressive or not. So the debate isn’t settled in 2026 and I don’t think it’s accurate to describe the debate as settled in 1996 when Gould wrote this book yo... (read more)
As an evolutionary biology PhD student in the year 2026, I’m just chiming in to say that students in the field are still being introduced to the ideas of Gould, specifically punctuated equilibrium and Spandrels. I don’t think it’s fair to call his reputation “mud”. Gould has also been introduced as a relevant player in 2 ongoing debates: (1) adaptation vs. neutral theory and (2) whether evolution is progressive or not. So the debate isn’t settled in 2026 and I don’t think it’s accurate to describe the debate as settled in 1996 when Gould wrote this book yo... (read more)