MysticPhD

I'm not sure who this refers to . . . but I couldn't agree more. As a point of reference, I am not a Creationist and am not in favor of inserting religion into science curricula.However, I am as equally opposed to scientists presumptively inserting their "unsicentific" preferences and opinions into the curricula giving them the imprimitur of accepted rational views without any possibility of verification or validation. It is the unnecessary extensions and extrapolations into unverifiable areas AS IF they are a part of the scientific knowledge that is problematic.

For example, our ignorance mandates that we cannot predict when or where mutations will occur . . . we assign that ignorance a scientific name and a mathematical correlate (randomness) which SEEMS to make it scientific (instead of just our ignorance and inability to predict except in probabilistic mathematical terms).

The term "randomness" then IMPLIES no purpose or design behind the occurrences (still based on our ignorance) . . . which is then stated as part of the scientific theory. In reality, that very same "ignorance" could as easily be termed "will of God" and still mathematically modeled the exact same way without changing anything subtantive in the theory or its validity.

The same can be said for the use of the term "natural," as in "natural selection." We have no idea what is behind the "nature" that "makes things as they are." But because we have a name for it, we use it AS IF it was scientific, and not reflective of our actual ignorance. Obviously the same is true of the "laws of Physics," etc. . . . all of which could equally be called "God's will" without changing ANYTHING in their usefulness or validity . . . except for its incompatibility with the preferences of scientists.

Sebelius for VP, not Hillary

Let me know when you guys are through with dkv so I can do my thing with him.


WEB

__________________
Forum Rule 3: Discuss the Issue, not your opponent.

dogmaphobe

Should we hang biologists and upset the natural order of the universe? I think not.


Let's think about this for a minute, here,folks. What are biologists, really? Anybody? Anybody? Yes, they are scientists. And what are scientists? Anybody? Yes, they are nerds. They walk around with their pocket protectors and their funny looking paisley shirts and wouldn't know Kanye west from Fred Flinstone, so heaven only knows that any self respecting hottie would have nothing to do with them.

You with me so far?

Well, since no self-respecting hottie would have anything to do with them, their only reproductive opportunities are with nerdettes, then, correct? As such, they form a closed set genetically, passing on their nerd genes through careful selection of mates. Since nerddom is genetically recessive, the only way to insure nerds is through nerd/nerd interbreeding.

Now, before you all say "so what?", I'd like to ask people to think of all the benefits this provides society. We have a steady supply of nerds to do all those tasks that only nerds can perform. They do a lot more than talk about evolving, you know, as they keep our computers operating and create nifty new drugs for us and send rockets to the moon and all sorts of neat things. Best of all -- they don't compete with us regular guys for the hotties!

and you want to change all that? The world would certainly collapse. Think things through, folks. We don't want to hang biologists. We want to keep things as they are.

I mean, what do you think is going to happen when the hotties get word that all these nerds are hung?

MysticPhD

ROFLMAO!!!!

texas_tank

Evolution is NOT a theory. Evolution is PROVEN... Evolution has BEEN proven more than enough times, in more than enough ways for people to 'believe' it exists...

iTaliAN_ICe

Yeah. Remember a few hundred years ago when they were pretty damn sure the sun revolved around the Earth?

Evolution is a theory. It's the best one out there, but it's still only a theory.

texas_tank

okay, and remember millions of years ago when cavemen threw stones at their own shadows and died of old age at 35?... whats your point?... thats way too out of context to even begin to pertain to this conversation.. that just further proves evolution...

we evolved from a community of people that used religion as the mind frame to base every aspect of their lives off now. In modern times (i.e. now) we use different tactics such as science, for one example.. and for some strange reason, everything fits into place better now, then it did when the sun revolved around the earth...

iTaliAN_ICe

I'm not denying evolution. It's a theory I subscribe to. But no matter what you say, it's still just that - a theory.

texas_tank

theory

–noun
1. a coherent group of general propositions used as principles of explanation for a class of phenomena that have yet to been proven true or in the likelyhood of which

fact
–noun
1. something that actually exists; reality; truth: Your fears have no basis in fact.
2. something known to exist or to have happened

religion is a theory. evolution is a proven, scientifically based, documented fact.

Diligent_d

I don't agree in that I would say it is pretty much proven. There is evidence from fossils showing simple plants and animals existed on earth well before complex ones came into the picture. Vertebrates came from invertibrates, and in many different forms and mutations - anyone can study this progression through fossil records. Common descent in all living things from the same ancestral gene pool has been proven all the way back to abiogenesis (the first origin of life from non-living matter - this one I concede still stumps most scientists).

In modern times, one has to look no further than viral evolution, where mutations happen right in front of a biologists eyes. Resistant mutations are always coming along and in turn causing the evolution of deadlier and deadlier viruses all the time. There are so many levels of biology through which one can study evolution, that it's basically pick your poison: molecular biology, cellular biology, genetic biology, physiology, and on up.