"In evolution we have seen many students who are perfectly capable of carrying out all of the calculations associated with Hardy-Weinberg problems-they are algebraically adept. However, they do not recognize that Hardy-Weinberg is, like Newton's frictionless universe, an ideal state; a baseline against which to measure changes in populations. They treat the Hardy-Weinberg formula as a tool for solving problems and not as a powerful model to gauge the extent of changes in gene frequency and then as a basis for considering what factors might have caused those shifts in gene frequency."