What are your opinions on Evolution

I had to pick somewhere - I guess in this context I considered "alternative" to mean "Science topics Alternative to Flat Earth topics"

There's plenty of precedent for evolution to be discussed in Alternative Science, since it is the alternative to "creation science", which is a pseudoscience and therefore falls under the purview of alternative science.

I would define science as the quest to find the intrinsic truths of the cosmos, outside of human experience.  That is to say, it is the quest to find the things in the universe that are true for everybody.

Obviously nothing is 100% sure, but when there is no genuine alternative theory, or when one theory is much more supported by evidence than another, we are forced to accept it.  When a theory is accepted by the vast majority of scientists, it becomes a scientific fact.  There are definitely facts in science.  For example a study found that 95% of the top scientists in the US are atheists.  That's not a theory, it's a fact.  We could come up with many theories as to why that is the case, but we can't label that anything other than a fact.

We can see, very clearly, that evolution has occurred.  We would have to have the very obvious theory that life will continue to evolve from this point, but the amount of evidence that shows that life has evolved to now is undeniable (unless you don't look at the evidence).  Evolution is a fact - it has actually happened and there are no other explanations with evidence to back them up for what we've observed.

Obviously nothing is 100% sure, but when there is no genuine alternative theory, or when one theory is much more supported by evidence than another, we are forced to accept it.  When a theory is accepted by the vast majority of scientists, it becomes a scientific fact.  

Eek! Don't let the RE'ers hear you!


EDIT: I don't think "Alternative", for the purposes of this forum, should be taken to mean that any subject discussed in here is any less accepted/valid of a fact/theory than stuff not in here.

Alternative Sciene is loosely defined as any theory that
1) not accepted by the academic community at large.
2) is accepted by a small minority of the general population, including scientists outside academia. These people are looked down upon by the population at large.
3) is referred to as pseudoscience by the academic community.

Quoted, complete with spelling mistakes from the topic stickied at the top of this subforum titled "What is Alternative Science?"


But it doesn't really matter, you don't need to move it.  I just don't like the idea of people thinking that evolution is just a theory with as much evidence behind it as creationism.

Quoted, complete with spelling mistakes from the topic stickied at the top of this subforum titled "What is Alternative Science?"


But it doesn't really matter, you don't need to move it.  I just don't like the idea of people thinking that evolution is just a theory with as much evidence behind it as creationism.

Wow, burned me! I just didn't want it to be lost too the chaos of the everything else forum.

lol yeah it's cool.  Just so long as we can all agree that evolution is real, unlike God, Odin, Zues, Santa Claus, Bilbo, Harry Potter, Batman or any other fictional characters.

Batman isn't real?  

Batman isn't real?  

But then who keeps the unforgiving streets of Gotham City free from bad guys, evil-doers, and other amusingly-themed villains?

But then who keeps the unforgiving streets of Gotham City free from bad guys, evil-doers, and other amusingly-themed villains?

Beast does that, dressed in a Batman costume. :lol:

lol yeah it's cool.  Just so long as we can all agree that evolution is real, unlike God, Odin, Zues, Santa Claus, Bilbo, Harry Potter, Batman or any other fictional characters.

This is proof that Godzilla exists.

Evolution is obviously false, monkeys dont give birth to people and loads of monkeys are still around. God created the world 60 years ago and crafted Adam and Eve from a dollop of his own shit.

Quote from: "Rick_James"

But then who keeps the unforgiving streets of Gotham City free from bad guys, evil-doers, and other amusingly-themed villains?

Beast does that, dressed in a Batman costume. :lol:

Wouldn't that make Batman... Real?

And as for the debate of evolution, it has already been done.

Here

Evolution is a very elegant theory that is constantly being fine tuned with new evidence and research. It is the very best answer as to the origins of life as we know it. The gaps in evolution are in no way contradictory to the theory itself. For example. there may be transitionary fossils missing in some places, but there are many many other places where we can show a clear path of evolution. It's simply a matter of filling in the blanks with more research and excavation.

Evolution, and his friends, Logic and Science, roam the earth looking for religion to smite, looking for devout saints to slaughter. That is the way of Science and his posse.

Evolution, and his friends, Logic and Science, roam the earth looking for religion to smite, looking for devout saints to slaughter. That is the way of Science and his posse.

I hope that was a joke. But it is hard to tell, because stupid creationists often say things like that.

Evolution, and his friends, Logic and Science, roam the earth looking for religion to smite, looking for devout saints to slaughter. That is the way of Science and his posse.

Yeah, because the Church doesn't do that itself.  What day is it, again?  February 14th?  Isn't that like a holiday or something?

i don't know, I'm split down the line. I think God may have started the ball going, then sat back and watched evolution roll. And no, I'm not implying god made us first, just that in the omniscience he must have being a god, he foresaw somehow a sentient being was to result.

then, on the other side of the split, I'm thinking evolution, but on a galactic scale.

so all in all i'd say evolution.

amen

Quote from: "BOGWarrior89"

Quote from: "jeffreygreenham"

Evolution, and his friends, Logic and Science, roam the earth looking for religion to smite, looking for devout saints to slaughter. That is the way of Science and his posse.

Yeah, because the Church doesn't do that itself.  What day is it, again?  February 14th?  Isn't that like a holiday or something?

Not a christian one. Its a PAGAN holiday.

Christians still stole it.

Quote from: "theonlydann"

Quote from: "BOGWarrior89"

Quote from: "jeffreygreenham"

Evolution, and his friends, Logic and Science, roam the earth looking for religion to smite, looking for devout saints to slaughter. That is the way of Science and his posse.

Yeah, because the Church doesn't do that itself.  What day is it, again?  February 14th?  Isn't that like a holiday or something?

Not a christian one. Its a PAGAN holiday.

Christians still stole it.

Hallmark stole it from the Christians :p

What was the original meaning of St. Valentines day?

Quote from: "Wolfwood"

Quote from: "BOGWarrior89"

Quote from: "theonlydann"

Quote from: "BOGWarrior89"

Quote from: "jeffreygreenham"

Evolution, and his friends, Logic and Science, roam the earth looking for religion to smite, looking for devout saints to slaughter. That is the way of Science and his posse.

Yeah, because the Church doesn't do that itself.  What day is it, again?  February 14th?  Isn't that like a holiday or something?

Not a christian one. Its a PAGAN holiday.

Christians still stole it.

Hallmark stole it from the Christians :p

What was the original meaning of St. Valentines day?

Uhm. i might be wrong. i think it was actually stolen from the romans. The pagans had some kind of bonfire holiday around now. Maybe im just stupid again.

Oh I could say something clever... But I won't.

Nope.

you never do anything nice for me. ITS VALENTINES DAY DAMMIT! hahahahahahahahahahahahhahaha

Whats your point?

just... yah know... that.... sometimes a fella wants to feel special...

If you are looking for someone to slap you and tell you to snap out of it, you need to be experiencing shell shock first :p

I understand the concept of evolution very well, and accept it as a highly logical THEORY, but there lies a ridiculous number of questions that need to be answered if the universe really was just a big accident.

THEORY DOES NOT MEAN UNPROVEN. Theory means it explains how and why something happened unlike a law which predicts what will happen. Also what questions need to be answered if the universe was an accident (i'm not saying it was I'm a Christian and believe God "got the ball rolling") Please read up on a little something called m theory. (sorry if that's out of date, i'm a little behind on current physics theories.)

Also what questions need to be answered if the universe was an accident (i'm not saying it was I'm a Christian and believe God "got the ball rolling") Please read up on a little something called m theory. (sorry if that's out of date, i'm a little behind on current physics theories.)

Fairly sure there are still billions of unanswered questions about the world.  String theory (m-theory) is not at all proven, and may never be (there is a serious debate that has been going on amongst the scientific community about if it is actually science or philosophy, since some people believe that we'll never be able to prove that string theory is true).

Also given that God does not exist, how does that make the universe an accident?  What is the scientific evidence that the universe is an "accident."  What does that statement even mean?  Does it simply mean that things did not happen for a reason?  Does it mean that it was an unlikely event?  What is your definition of "accident"?

Also what is your evidence that God "got the ball rolling"?  For that matter, what is your evidence that God created the world at all, or that God exists?

Quote from: "Raist"

Also what questions need to be answered if the universe was an accident (i'm not saying it was I'm a Christian and believe God "got the ball rolling") Please read up on a little something called m theory. (sorry if that's out of date, i'm a little behind on current physics theories.)

Fairly sure there are still billions of unanswered questions about the world.  String theory (m-theory) is not at all proven, and may never be (there is a serious debate that has been going on amongst the scientific community about if it is actually science or philosophy, since some people believe that we'll never be able to prove that string theory is true).

Also given that God does not exist, how does that make the universe an accident?  What is the scientific evidence that the universe is an "accident."  What does that statement even mean?  Does it simply mean that things did not happen for a reason?  Does it mean that it was an unlikely event?  What is your definition of "accident"?

Also what is your evidence that God "got the ball rolling"?  For that matter, what is your evidence that God created the world at all, or that God exists?

Can you disprove his existence?

Quote from: "beast"

Quote from: "Raist"

Also what questions need to be answered if the universe was an accident (i'm not saying it was I'm a Christian and believe God "got the ball rolling") Please read up on a little something called m theory. (sorry if that's out of date, i'm a little behind on current physics theories.)

Fairly sure there are still billions of unanswered questions about the world.  String theory (m-theory) is not at all proven, and may never be (there is a serious debate that has been going on amongst the scientific community about if it is actually science or philosophy, since some people believe that we'll never be able to prove that string theory is true).

Also given that God does not exist, how does that make the universe an accident?  What is the scientific evidence that the universe is an "accident."  What does that statement even mean?  Does it simply mean that things did not happen for a reason?  Does it mean that it was an unlikely event?  What is your definition of "accident"?

Also what is your evidence that God "got the ball rolling"?  For that matter, what is your evidence that God created the world at all, or that God exists?

Can you disprove his existence?

Thats like going to a random person on the street and saying "Ooo this man killed my dad on the 21st of May 1980" then the police arresting him and asking him what he was doing on that exact date then sending him to prison for not proving he didnt murder the persons dad.

Quote from: "Wolfwood"

Quote from: "beast"

Quote from: "Raist"

Also what questions need to be answered if the universe was an accident (i'm not saying it was I'm a Christian and believe God "got the ball rolling") Please read up on a little something called m theory. (sorry if that's out of date, i'm a little behind on current physics theories.)

Fairly sure there are still billions of unanswered questions about the world.  String theory (m-theory) is not at all proven, and may never be (there is a serious debate that has been going on amongst the scientific community about if it is actually science or philosophy, since some people believe that we'll never be able to prove that string theory is true).

Also given that God does not exist, how does that make the universe an accident?  What is the scientific evidence that the universe is an "accident."  What does that statement even mean?  Does it simply mean that things did not happen for a reason?  Does it mean that it was an unlikely event?  What is your definition of "accident"?

Also what is your evidence that God "got the ball rolling"?  For that matter, what is your evidence that God created the world at all, or that God exists?

Can you disprove his existence?

Thats like going to a random person on the street and saying "Ooo this man killed my dad on the 21st of May 1980" then the police arresting him and asking him what he was doing on that exact date then sending him to prison for not proving he didnt murder the persons dad.

Right because those to situations match up perfectly.

Can you disprove his existence?

Considering there is no evidence to support his existence, I don't need to disprove his existence.  How can you possibly disprove the existence of anything?  Clearly if something does not exist, all you can have, as we do have, is a lack of evidence supporting the existence of the non-existent thing.

Do you believe that there are millions of invisible midget pandas that steal peoples socks?

Why not?

Can you prove that those pandas do not exist? 

Quote from: Wolfwood on February 18, 2007, 06:14:13 AM

Can you disprove his existence?

Considering there is no evidence to support his existence, I don't need to disprove his existence.  How can you possibly disprove the existence of anything?  Clearly if something does not exist, all you can have, as we do have, is a lack of evidence supporting the existence of the non-existent thing.

Do you believe that there are millions of invisible midget pandas that steal peoples socks?

Why not?

Can you prove that those pandas do not exist? 

It's called Prozac and Zyprexa. It will prove the unprovable for many people.

As far as my opinion on evolution: I think the ideas about it prove it exists, they keep changing. Next!