I have previously read the site kindly submitted for discussion today and have recommended it (here on Hacker News, too, as I recall) before. This site is well worth a read. A comment asks for a recommendation of a book about macroevolution, transformation to new species among descendant organisms, and I can not only recommend two books, but also a free website. The website is 29+ Evidences for Macroevolution,[1] which I have recommended often to readers here on Hacker News. The books are Why Evolution Is True by Jerry Coyne[2] and The Greatest Show on Earth by Richard Dawkins.[3] Both books are very readable and interesting and well deserve your attention. There are other good recent books about evolution that help fill in the research findings that have occurred since you or I finished our formal schooling.[4]

[1] http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/comdesc/

[2] http://www.amazon.com/Why-Evolution-True-Jerry-Coyne/dp/0143...

[3] http://www.amazon.com/The-Greatest-Show-Earth-Evolution/dp/1...

[4] http://www.amazon.com/The-Ancestors-Tale-Pilgrimage-Evolutio...

http://www.amazon.com/Your-Inner-Fish-Journey-3-5-Billion-Ye...

http://www.amazon.com/Endless-Forms-Most-Beautiful-Science/d...

http://www.amazon.com/Making-Fittest-Ultimate-Forensic-Evolu...

This is an interesting, readable report on an automated procedure for experimenting on evolution of microorganisms that will be good to try out with microorganisms other than yeast. Figuring out the different gene interactions over many generations of random mutations will eventually develop a deeper understanding of how these one-celled organisms work. And that, as an expert interviewed for the article suggested, will help deepen understanding of evolution as a process. "'I think many people think about one gene for one trait, a deterministic way of evolution solving problems,' said David Reznick, a biologist at the University of California, Riverside. 'This says that’s not true; you can evolve to be better suited to the environment in many ways.'"

Scaling up this approach to study multicellular organisms with longer generation times than yeast will of course take a lot of time and effort. Sometimes (as here) experiments on simple model organisms produce surprising findings. There will be even more surprising findings, I think, as evolution is studied in more detail in multicellular organisms at the molecular genetic level with strict experimental controls of developmental environments.

EDIT TO REPLY TO ANOTHER COMMENT:

Another participant asked,

I feel like a CS education should prepare one for this kind of field. What's a good way to get started learning more about evolution?

It will indeed take a lot of hard work by experienced computer scientists to solve some problems in evolutionary theory. A quite good way to start learning about evolution is to read the book Why Evolution Is True, which talks not only about evidence for evolution but also about implications of the theory. Then read the book's website[1] frequently for the latest news.

Other good things to read are the books by biologist Sean Carroll (not to be confused with physicist Sean Carroll) such as Endless Forms Most Beautiful.[2]

[1] http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/

[2] http://www.amazon.com/Endless-Forms-Most-Beautiful-Science/d...