Are there any people here who don't believe in evolution?

I was totally being serious. My world is now shattering with your debunking of my amazing theory. Are you satisfied?

 

I think I meant to say chromosomes when I said genes the first time. Simple procreation can alter the gene pool. I'm trying to get at the alteration to our human being that proceeded from some other creature that we allegedly share in common with the apes.

 

I have not and would not deny that there are some evolutionary forces at work. If you can't find a mate, you can't procreate. Rule #1.

 

I love it when people try to claim that some evolutionary theories are "loose" or not very concrete. As opposed to what? God creating everything? That's concrete?

Evolutionary theory is the best explanation for the origin of species. Big Bang Theory is the best explanation for the origin of the universe. While they may like the foundation to make either of them fact, they have more foundation to stand on that someone exclaiming "God made it that way" (to which there is zero evidence/science behind it).

I typically go with the best explanation with the most evidence behind it. That is evolution.

 

I assumed you weren't being totally serious. I was just pointing out that the common "planetary orbit" model of the atom that a lot of people may have in their heads is not correct.

 

You obviously have not been paying attention to what Grizzled considers evidence:

Or, you could take some time to research his amazingly strong argument regarding falsifiability.

 

evolution <> reproduction

 

The majority of motorists believe themselves to be above average drivers. If I told the world individually that they won the lottery and they believed me, it is not one iota closer to being true.

 

evolution = winning the lottery ?

 

Lottery being something so valuable you are willing to suspend disbelief. The point being that belief is evidence of nothing.

 

THis is one of my scientific pet peeves that someone always brings up things like how the Universe came to be, how life started and etc.. when talking about Evolution.

Evolution is a biological theory, not physics or cosmology, that deals with why we have different species. It doesn't deal with how life or the Universe came about. Darwin's book is called The Origin of Species not "The Origin of Life" or "The Origin of the Universe".

I think a lot of the opposition towards Evolution has to do with that misunderstanding about what it covers.

 

you think evolution is a belief and not a fact?

 

The old "God of the Gaps" argument.

This is my pet peeve number 2 argument regarding these debates. Scientific theory isn't a matter of faith but really a matter of skepticism. You don't so much believe in scientific theories as much as consider it a likelyhood. Its not a matter of faith since without the evidence there is no reason for the theory. "Faith" though is something that transcends evidence as belief is inherently something that defies empiracal proof.

To get back to Evolution, scientifially Evolution isn't something that is absolutely proven, technically though nothing is absolutely proven in science, but is the explanation that so far best explains the empiracal evidence. The challenge to it and any other theory is how well it explains ongoing evidence and so far it does but that doesn't mean there aren't some big questions out there.

The problem with the "God of Gaps" argument is that while it points out problems with Evolution it doesn't help a counter Creationist / Intelligent Design argument. While pointing out things like the Cambrian Explosion seem to defy a steady state Evolutionary model that no more proves there was some other agency involved.

For that matter things like the Cambrian Explosion doesn't overthrow the basic idea of Evolution since the "Explosion" took place over millions of years and there is fossil evidence of change to speciation during the Explosion. Its not all of sudden a bunch of new species appeared from nowhere.

 

Are you really questioning the fossil records and archaeological evidence that illustrates a "great migration" of people accross the globe? Timelines are important? Haha, yeah, that is why it has all been charted and we generally have an idea when humans got where (25,000 bc, for example, is the earliest indication we have of humans crossing over into North America from Asia).

What is cool is that there were two migrations - homo sapiens ventured out and then apparently died off or bred themselves out of existence with the later homo sapien sapien migration.

All of this magical information exists in books and journals and probably even the interwebs. If you can read, you can learn.

 

They are not mutually exclusive.

 

Rocket River, I suggest you spend the hour to listen to the Krauss video. You'd have to ignore his pointed asides at religion, but towards the end he gives a rational explanation of 'unlimited possibilities' that you may accept rather than your space VW van example you always counter with.

 

If someone thinks Big Bang Theory is involved in evolutionary theory, then they are simply wrong. It's the same with people who claim that evolution is saying humans came from monkeys -- they are simply wrong and don't care enough to try and understand it.

However, evolution is a subset of what the Big Bang Theory covers. The Big Big is the origin of everything, which will of course include species. Evolution is, yes, species-oriented, but when you're discussing God and "creation," the Big Bang has to be involved somewhere.

 

Not a fact or a belief but a scientific theory with the proper respect paid to what a scientific theory is. I will just say I believe in evolution for further clarification.

 

Are you trying to say that reproduction has nothing to do with evolution? How do species get propogated in your world?