The misinterpretation of evolution

[Vindictus]

So what is the point of guessing about something which is unknowable?

Why guess?
Because its better to have an answer? xD
"Whats your favorite food?"
"I dunno."

But I know what my favourite food is. I don't have to guess. And I can test what my favourite food is by trying lots of different kinds of food and rating each one. (It's curry, if you're curious.)

I don't agree that it's better to have an answer if you can't say whether that answer is any more or less valid than the competing answers. Might as well believe a different religion each day, and atheism on Sundays.

Lol. Never said my answer was more valid. And i never would.
xD I just say that FOR ME in particular, its the best answer.
To me it makes more sense.
Sure, random things happening is highly believable, and on a large scale i believe it.
But to the extent of our solar system being formed just as it needed to be, the sun being the proper temperature, the evolutionary lines created.... Every factor is just right for us to exist.

I believe in chances. Even if the chances of it happening were one in...... a few trillion, i would believe it was just luck. But in reality, the chances of it happening the way it did are way more astronomical then that.

This, my belief is that something had a hand in it for the odds to be beat. Something we probably cant comprehend.

How else would you expect life that has evolved around these things to look like? This argument is silly because not only is it irrelevant, but it's also an incorrect assertion. If you put red colouring in cake batter to bake a cake, would you expect it to come out green? I think not, and the same can be said about allowing life to evolve around certain conditions. It's going to look like things are perfect or coincidental, otherwise it wouldn't have flourished!

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

First of all, your run on sentences make an extremely incoherent argument. Second of all, you seem to have some of your facts bass-ackwards. You seem to believe that evolution was the lead idea the whole time, and that these filthy newcomers of Intelligetn Design are invading. It is actually quite the opposite. Evolution is an idea that is barely even a hundred years old, while Creationism has had free reign for thousands of years.

I think that it is fair to say that you seem to need to brush up on some things first before you go crying wolf on other people. Also, it is fair that if one idea is taught in the classroom, then another idea must be taught as well. People need to see all of the choices, and then decide for themselves what they want to believe is true. There is no reasone why Creationism nor evolution can be taught simulataneously.

Creationism has absolutely no basis in fact, and should not be taught as such. It is the view of a religion, and thus should not be taught to kids as a scientific theory, but as a part of a religious history class, should they choose to take one.

Their is a reason why evolution is called a theory, because it doesnt have any evidence that we evolved from simpler beings while I do admit their is some form of genetic mutation in all lifeforms it is really not affecting their population growth.

Sigh....
They should really change the term. A scientific theory is the highest status something can have in science. It isn't "just a theory".

 

[oktalist]

Their is a reason why evolution is called a theory, because it doesnt have any evidence that we evolved from simpler beings while I do admit their is some form of genetic mutation in all lifeforms it is really not affecting their population growth.

http://www.notjustatheory.com/

Yahoo Answers: Why is evolution called a theory? [http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080427090215AA1nflr]

And what's population growth got to do with anything?

 

[kouriichi]

So what is the point of guessing about something which is unknowable?

Why guess?
Because its better to have an answer? xD
"Whats your favorite food?"
"I dunno."

But I know what my favourite food is. I don't have to guess. And I can test what my favourite food is by trying lots of different kinds of food and rating each one. (It's curry, if you're curious.)

I don't agree that it's better to have an answer if you can't say whether that answer is any more or less valid than the competing answers. Might as well believe a different religion each day, and atheism on Sundays.

Lol. Never said my answer was more valid. And i never would.
xD I just say that FOR ME in particular, its the best answer.
To me it makes more sense.
Sure, random things happening is highly believable, and on a large scale i believe it.
But to the extent of our solar system being formed just as it needed to be, the sun being the proper temperature, the evolutionary lines created.... Every factor is just right for us to exist.

I believe in chances. Even if the chances of it happening were one in...... a few trillion, i would believe it was just luck. But in reality, the chances of it happening the way it did are way more astronomical then that.

This, my belief is that something had a hand in it for the odds to be beat. Something we probably cant comprehend.

How else would you expect life that has evolved around these things to look like? This argument is silly because not only is it irrelevant, but it's also an incorrect assertion. If you put red colouring in cake batter to bake a cake, would you expect it to come out green? I think not, and the same can be said about allowing life to evolve around certain conditions. It's going to look like things are perfect or coincidental, otherwise it wouldn't have flourished!

Heres the thing though. We could have evolved so many different ways the thought of it is almost scary. Theres a good chance we could have grown scales instead. Or never got fingers.

Theres a chance our brain would have stayed tiny, because it was the best option at the time.

Saying, "This protoplasm is human, and will become human" makes no sense either, because it will change and evolve based on what its species needs to survive.

your analogy of "red coloring in a cake" doesnt apply to life, because life changes, and food coloring doesnt xD

But the another thing to it is, what if hands werent the best evolutionary option at the time? What if walking upright was a detriment to humans as we were evolving? There are so many other possibilities to how we could of evolved instead of how we did, you cant calculate it xD

 

[matoasters]

First of all, your run on sentences make an extremely incoherent argument. Second of all, you seem to have some of your facts bass-ackwards. You seem to believe that evolution was the lead idea the whole time, and that these filthy newcomers of Intelligetn Design are invading. It is actually quite the opposite. Evolution is an idea that is barely even a hundred years old, while Creationism has had free reign for thousands of years.

I think that it is fair to say that you seem to need to brush up on some things first before you go crying wolf on other people. Also, it is fair that if one idea is taught in the classroom, then another idea must be taught as well. People need to see all of the choices, and then decide for themselves what they want to believe is true. There is no reasone why Creationism nor evolution can be taught simulataneously.

Creationism has absolutely no basis in fact, and should not be taught as such. It is the view of a religion, and thus should not be taught to kids as a scientific theory, but as a part of a religious history class, should they choose to take one.

Their is a reason why evolution is called a theory, because it doesnt have any evidence that we evolved from simpler beings while I do admit their is some form of genetic mutation in all lifeforms it is really not affecting their population growth.

No. Evolution has pretty much been proven. We know that species change over time. It has been observed in current species, and can be traced throughout the fossil record. The amount of evidence for evolution is overwhelming, while there is no genuine evidence for creationism other than the feeble protests of idiotic religious fundamentalists.

 

[Vindictus]

So what is the point of guessing about something which is unknowable?

Why guess?
Because its better to have an answer? xD
"Whats your favorite food?"
"I dunno."

But I know what my favourite food is. I don't have to guess. And I can test what my favourite food is by trying lots of different kinds of food and rating each one. (It's curry, if you're curious.)

I don't agree that it's better to have an answer if you can't say whether that answer is any more or less valid than the competing answers. Might as well believe a different religion each day, and atheism on Sundays.

Lol. Never said my answer was more valid. And i never would.
xD I just say that FOR ME in particular, its the best answer.
To me it makes more sense.
Sure, random things happening is highly believable, and on a large scale i believe it.
But to the extent of our solar system being formed just as it needed to be, the sun being the proper temperature, the evolutionary lines created.... Every factor is just right for us to exist.

I believe in chances. Even if the chances of it happening were one in...... a few trillion, i would believe it was just luck. But in reality, the chances of it happening the way it did are way more astronomical then that.

This, my belief is that something had a hand in it for the odds to be beat. Something we probably cant comprehend.

How else would you expect life that has evolved around these things to look like? This argument is silly because not only is it irrelevant, but it's also an incorrect assertion. If you put red colouring in cake batter to bake a cake, would you expect it to come out green? I think not, and the same can be said about allowing life to evolve around certain conditions. It's going to look like things are perfect or coincidental, otherwise it wouldn't have flourished!

Heres the thing though. We could have evolved so many different ways the thought of it is almost scary. Theres a good chance we could have grown scales instead. Or never got fingers.

Theres a chance our brain would have stayed tiny, because it was the best option at the time.

Saying, "This protoplasm is human, and will become human" makes no sense either, because it will change and evolve based on what its species needs to survive.

your analogy of "red coloring in a cake" doesnt apply to life, because life changes, and food coloring doesnt xD

But the another thing to it is, what if hands werent the best evolutionary option at the time? What if walking upright was a detriment to humans as we were evolving? There are so many other possibilities to how we could of evolved instead of how we did, you cant calculate it xD

I'm not sure what that has to do with the "everything is perfect for us to live here" argument. Yes, we could have turned out differently, but we didn't. We have evolved in accordance with the environmental factors that surrounded us.

You want a weird animal? Have a look at an Octopus. There's evolution that doesn't make sense.

 

[Asita]

Heres the thing though. We could have evolved so many different ways the thought of it is almost scary. Theres a good chance we could have grown scales instead. Or never got fingers.

Theres a chance our brain would have stayed tiny, because it was the best option at the time.

Saying, "This protoplasm is human, and will become human" makes no sense either, because it will change and evolve based on what its species needs to survive.

your analogy of "red coloring in a cake" doesnt apply to life, because life changes, and food coloring doesnt xD

But the another thing to it is, what if hands werent the best evolutionary option at the time? What if walking upright was a detriment to humans as we were evolving? There are so many other possibilities to how we could of evolved instead of how we did, you cant calculate it xD

...That's a pointless calculation based entirely on a fallacy known as Retrospective Determinism. If humans had evolved different traits then you'd be making the exact same argument using the 'unlikelihood' of those specific traits instead.

 

[biggskanz]

Didn't read most of this thread but wanted to say this anyway. DISCLAIMER: I do not believe in a christian god (aka big sky daddy looking over us).

Evolution doesn't explain the origins of life, it explains is how life evolves. Evolution is pretty much fact, we know it happens. Humans have been using evolution to breed certain traits into animals for millennia.

That said, evolution doesn't explain everything, e.g.: humans have 250 unique genes that are not found in any lower species.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7o7ICv5JGQ&feature=related

I've been so far unable to find a reputable source to back up such a claim. However, given who's behind Amenstop Productions [http://www.helpfreetheearth.com/index.html], I don't think I will.

Edit: After browsing that site for a while, I just have to sit back in awe at the batshit craziness being peddled there. It's an absolutely delicious mix of... just about every conspiracy theory and superstition known to man! Amazing!

I just linked that video because it has a hot chick and it's in simple terms any laymen can understand. You must not have looked that hard for a "reputable source." Try [URL="http://www.jcvi.org/cms/press/press-releases/full-text/article/more-extensive-analysis-casts-doubt-on-claim-of-bacterial-genes-in-humans/" ]The Institute for Genomic Research[/URL]. Originally scientist attributed the genes to a lateral transfer from bacteria although more recently that theory has been called into question.

 

[Megacherv]

"That's right, around 50% of the population of the United States does not believe in evolution, and that is sad"

Who put you on such a high horse? You know what? Your saying its sad that people don't believe in what you do, and that is sad. Seriously most people don't give a shit about Human evolution so deal with it. Why do people who strongly believe in Evolution have to be such dick heads? Sorry we can't all be like you.

It is quite sad actually, due to the amount of evidence pointing to evolution being true, and yet there are a lot of people who will simply dismiss it and call a whambulance if you try and discuss it with them.

These are living, conscious, intelligent people who make up half of the population of what is pretty much the world's most powerful country, and they simply decry science as false due to past fiction media hysteria making them think that 'SCIANSS IZ TEH EVEEL AND IZ LYEZ!!1!' and such.

 

[Reincarnatedwolfgod]

i don't claim that creationism/intelligent design is wrong because i am unable to back that up. but i choose to think there is a more logical expiation beyond god did it. so think you can guess i don't believe in creationism/intelligent design(there both different but in the end one basic element of them are the same; they both involve the influence of god). evolution makes a lot more sense to me.

 

[evilneko]

Didn't read most of this thread but wanted to say this anyway. DISCLAIMER: I do not believe in a christian god (aka big sky daddy looking over us).

Evolution doesn't explain the origins of life, it explains is how life evolves. Evolution is pretty much fact, we know it happens. Humans have been using evolution to breed certain traits into animals for millennia.

That said, evolution doesn't explain everything, e.g.: humans have 250 unique genes that are not found in any lower species.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7o7ICv5JGQ&feature=related

I've been so far unable to find a reputable source to back up such a claim. However, given who's behind Amenstop Productions [http://www.helpfreetheearth.com/index.html], I don't think I will.

Edit: After browsing that site for a while, I just have to sit back in awe at the batshit craziness being peddled there. It's an absolutely delicious mix of... just about every conspiracy theory and superstition known to man! Amazing!

I just linked that video because it has a hot chick and it's in simple terms any laymen can understand. You must not have looked that hard for a "reputable source." Try [URL="http://www.jcvi.org/cms/press/press-releases/full-text/article/more-extensive-analysis-casts-doubt-on-claim-of-bacterial-genes-in-humans/" ]The Institute for Genomic Research[/URL]. Originally scientist attributed the genes to a lateral transfer from bacteria although more recently that theory has been called into question.

Likely because that link says nothing about "250 unique genes not found in lower species".

 

[Megacherv]

First of all, your run on sentences make an extremely incoherent argument. Second of all, you seem to have some of your facts bass-ackwards. You seem to believe that evolution was the lead idea the whole time, and that these filthy newcomers of Intelligetn Design are invading. It is actually quite the opposite. Evolution is an idea that is barely even a hundred years old, while Creationism has had free reign for thousands of years.

I think that it is fair to say that you seem to need to brush up on some things first before you go crying wolf on other people. Also, it is fair that if one idea is taught in the classroom, then another idea must be taught as well. People need to see all of the choices, and then decide for themselves what they want to believe is true. There is no reasone why Creationism nor evolution can be taught simulataneously.

Wait, an idea being around a long time has absolutely no bearing in any way to it's validity, secondly to act as if creation and evolution are both as educationally valid as one another is like saying that if we must teach kids about dinosaurs, we should have to teach them about dragons too. truth is not a choice, facts are not a choice and to overtly lie in the faces of the coming generations by telling them 'god did it' and having the only explanation be 'This really old book says so' would be ethically and morally wrong.

sorry if this seems like a rant, i understand where you are coming from, but for god sake (sorry) please stop trying to make intelligent design seem in anyway scientific. it isn't. also as a side not, when OP mentioned creationism it was simply so he could point out that Intelligent design isn't a theory, it's a rebranding.

Yours Sincerely
The Smoking Fox.

But...but we should teach them about dragons...dragons are awesome too...

 

[Takumashii]

These are living, conscious, intelligent people who make up half of the population of what is pretty much the world's most powerful country, and they simply decry science as false due to past fiction media hysteria making them think that 'SCIANSS IZ TEH EVEEL AND IZ LYEZ!!1!' and such.

It's because their parents didn't teach them evolution, and by the time they learn about it in school it's just a mere suggestion to them. I wasn't taught evolution in school until I was in high school (15 years old). My parents didn't know much about evolution, but never stopped me from reaching a lot of books about it ever since I was old enough to read. Because of that when I learned about it in school it made perfect sense to me, but a lot of my classmates had absolutely no idea what the teacher was talking about, and I heard a lot of "monkeys can't turn into humans" and similar comments.

 

[biggskanz]

Didn't read most of this thread but wanted to say this anyway. DISCLAIMER: I do not believe in a christian god (aka big sky daddy looking over us).

Evolution doesn't explain the origins of life, it explains is how life evolves. Evolution is pretty much fact, we know it happens. Humans have been using evolution to breed certain traits into animals for millennia.

That said, evolution doesn't explain everything, e.g.: humans have 250 unique genes that are not found in any lower species.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7o7ICv5JGQ&feature=related

I've been so far unable to find a reputable source to back up such a claim. However, given who's behind Amenstop Productions [http://www.helpfreetheearth.com/index.html], I don't think I will.

Edit: After browsing that site for a while, I just have to sit back in awe at the batshit craziness being peddled there. It's an absolutely delicious mix of... just about every conspiracy theory and superstition known to man! Amazing!

I just linked that video because it has a hot chick and it's in simple terms any laymen can understand. You must not have looked that hard for a "reputable source." Try [URL="http://www.jcvi.org/cms/press/press-releases/full-text/article/more-extensive-analysis-casts-doubt-on-claim-of-bacterial-genes-in-humans/" ]The Institute for Genomic Research[/URL]. Originally scientist attributed the genes to a lateral transfer from bacteria although more recently that theory has been called into question.

Likely because that link says nothing about "250 unique genes not found in lower species".

You must just suck at google searching. I'm not gonna do your research for you. I believe the actual number is 223. Good luck bro!

 

[Blind Sight]

*Reads OP several times in order to actually get the point of your statement*
Well apparently writing is also being poorly taught in public schools. I kid, I kid.

This thread is already massive, but I would personally point to the public school system, which seem to offer up an extremely lackluster standard of education in most fields. The curriculum that focuses on chemistry and biology in high school is particularly bad. I have also noticed that although evolution is understood in very, very basic terms by people who 'believe' in it, they are many individuals who are unable to actually understand it beyond that. That's not to say that there aren't intelligent people who understand the theory, but in broad terms there are many people who support evolution while having no idea what the theory entails (a good example would be a friend of mine who believes that evolution means to become 'more human'). I think that illustrates a more important issue: rather then studying the theory of evolution and coming it a conclusion based off of evidence, many accept it simply due to rejecting the alternative. It's a very interesting conflict of interests to me.

 

[Falconsgyre]

I love how so many posts here prove the OP's point. Though I suppose it would be bad form to make fun of people for simply being ignorant.

I just linked that video because it has a hot chick and it's in simple terms any laymen can understand. You must not have looked that hard for a "reputable source." Try [URL="http://www.jcvi.org/cms/press/press-releases/full-text/article/more-extensive-analysis-casts-doubt-on-claim-of-bacterial-genes-in-humans/" ]The Institute for Genomic Research[/URL]. Originally scientist attributed the genes to a lateral transfer from bacteria although more recently that theory has been called into question.

Read your link. All it says is that bacterial genes may not have been directly transferred into some eukaryotic genomes way back when. This is interesting, but says absolutely nothing about evolution, as the alternative theory was that these species lost those genes. In other words, whoever your source was read an article about a relatively obscure theory about how certain genes came to be in humans but not some of our distant eukaryotic cousins and misinterpreted it.

 

[Bakuryukun]

I am a Catholic, but I still know that evolution exists, and I agree that it is appalling that most people don't don't know about it. However, I do not think everyone should be forced to believe in evolution, if people don't want to, why make them? Intelligent design is still a possible theory, as is the theory of evolution, I think God guided evolution but, I'm not going to go around and try and make people teach this in schools everywhere.

Intelligent design isn't a theory. It can at at best be a Theology. The two aren't very comparable.

 

[Rattler5150]

do you believe in selective breeding? Racehorses for example, 3 different breeds from many years ago, carefully breeding the best traits to get a Thoroughbred today.

so why is natural selection so hard to accept. first off evolution does not explain the genesis of life on earth. whether we emerged from the primordial ooze, god snapped his fingers or we were beamed down be aliens, is not explained. What is explained is that simpler lifeforms evolved into more advanced life.

 

[JochemDude]

Believe if evolution theory will ever be rightfully upgraded to law of evolution, you know what will then be said? That god created evolution (or atleast something like that, the bible has been altered for such reasons before)
There is no way to change the mind of a man that has already made up his mind.

 

[biggskanz]

I love how so many posts here prove the OP's point. Though I suppose it would be bad form to make fun of people for simply being ignorant.

I just linked that video because it has a hot chick and it's in simple terms any laymen can understand. You must not have looked that hard for a "reputable source." Try [URL="http://www.jcvi.org/cms/press/press-releases/full-text/article/more-extensive-analysis-casts-doubt-on-claim-of-bacterial-genes-in-humans/" ]The Institute for Genomic Research[/URL]. Originally scientist attributed the genes to a lateral transfer from bacteria although more recently that theory has been called into question.

Read your link. All it says is that bacterial genes may not have been directly transferred into some eukaryotic genomes way back when. This is interesting, but says absolutely nothing about evolution, as the alternative theory was that these species lost those genes. In other words, whoever your source was read an article about a relatively obscure theory about how certain genes came to be in humans but not some of our distant eukaryotic cousins and misinterpreted it.

That link was a reply to a reply to my original post where I said that evolution is fact but there are anomalies that cannot be explained by evolutionary theory. Genes in the human genome that are not in lower species would be an anomaly not explained by evolution.