Piner High School STEAM Certificate

Level 1 Response

Eli Bui

Stem Cafe - Natural Selection Film

Kurt Kruger

26 October 2023

In this purely showing of the short film “Natural Selection” by Reef Distribution, we join

Charles Darwin on his voyage with the HMS Beagle to the Galapagos Islands, where he was

inspired to develop his later theory of transmutation by natural selection. Darwin himself will

explain the mechanism of natural selection to the audience and support it by showing many

beautiful examples in nature.

This documentary begins by introducing viewers to coral reefs, one of the most biodiverse

ecosystems on the planet. It explains how reefs are formed and the crucial role they play in

marine life. Through vibrant visuals and detailed animations, the film showcases the variety of

species that inhabit these underwater structures, from colorful corals and sponges to a myriad of

fish species and other marine organisms. Central to the narrative is the concept of natural

selection, first articulated by Charles Darwin. The film explains this fundamental principle by

illustrating how individual variations within a species can lead to different survival and

reproduction rates in response to environmental pressures. It highlights how advantageous traits

become more common in a population over generations, leading to evolutionary changes. The

film focuses on specific examples within reef ecosystems to elucidate these concepts. For

instance, it might show how certain fish have evolved camouflage to evade predators or how
some corals have developed resilience to temperature changes and bleaching events. By

observing these real-world instances, viewers gain a deeper understanding of how natural

selection operates in complex and dynamic environments. "Natural Selection by Reef

Distribution" also touches on the current threats facing coral reefs, such as climate change,

pollution, and overfishing. It discusses how these stressors can accelerate the process of natural

selection, sometimes leading to rapid changes in species composition and reef structure. The film

emphasizes the importance of conservation efforts to protect these vital ecosystems and maintain

their biodiversity. Through a blend of scientific insight and visual splendor, the film aims to

educate viewers about the mechanisms of evolution and the critical role that natural selection

plays in shaping life on Earth. It is both an informative and visually captivating exploration of

the intricate relationships and adaptations that define reef ecosystems.

Reflection

I felt like going to this stem cafe that was more of a theater than a presentation, but it was a

delightful and overall good choice. I had a nice experience watching this film in the sparq center

and enjoyed how laid back it was. While there isn’t much to detail about in this reflection, I was

slightly surprised by the quality of the film’s special effects and felt like it added greatly to its

overall teaching experience. I would definitely recommend this type of stem cafe to someone

who wants to write a relatively easy STEM level 1 or wants to enjoy a short film about the

creation of the earth!

Article Analysis: Social Darwinism

In addition to this stem cafe about natural selection, another theory devised by Charles Darwin is

something called “Social Darwinism”. Social Darwinism is commonly understood to mean the

application of Darwin's biological theories to the social and cultural realm, with this applying to

his sociocultural evolutionary theories developed in parallel to biological theories, rather than

emerging from them. Social Darwinism is an umbrella term that was applied indiscriminately to

a variety of social theories. This theory devises that human groups and races are subject to the

same laws of natural selection as Charles Darwin perceived in plants and animals in nature. The

term wasn’t coined by Charles Darwin himself but instead was used to fulfill racism, Nazism,

and the eugenics movements. While Darwin’s original natural selection theory was based on

nature and the natural progression of our environments, this new theory based upon it gives a

point of view of how human nature inherently wants control!