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Author Topic:   Questions on Evolution.
crashfrog
Member (Idle past 1691 days)
Posts: 19762
From: Silver Spring, MD
Joined: 03-20-2003


Message 13 of 43 (168226)
12-14-2004 6:11 PM
Reply to: Message 11 by CreepingTerror
12-14-2004 4:38 PM


On certainty and Faith
To me, it seems to come down to a matter of faith. I mean, evolution is still theory. We're not completely sure. Jump me if you want, but that's how I see it. Fine there's a lot of evidence, but we're not completely sure.
Well, we don't get completely sure in science, because that precludes any ability to change your mind, later. We're still not completely sure that germs cause disease, or that matter is made of atoms, or that gravity is actually universal for all matter. But we're as sure about evolution as we are about those other things, which are still theories too.
I don't see any faith involved. Evolution explains the evidence and makes predictions that have been successfully tested. Where're the faith, then, in saying "evolution is the best explanation for the history of life on Earth that we have?"

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 Message 11 by CreepingTerror, posted 12-14-2004 4:38 PM CreepingTerror has not replied

crashfrog
Member (Idle past 1691 days)
Posts: 19762
From: Silver Spring, MD
Joined: 03-20-2003


Message 17 of 43 (168299)
12-14-2004 11:04 PM
Reply to: Message 15 by CreepingTerror
12-14-2004 10:35 PM


What other scientifically viable theories are there that contradict Evo.
Well, there have been several. For instance, Lamarkianism, or Lysenkoism. The fact that you have never heard of them is a testament to the degree to which evolution is better than all the other competing theories. It's simply the best explanation for the history of life on Earth that we have, and, to date, nobody has come up with a better one. But maybe somebody will. Maybe you will.
But that doesn't change the fact that the chances of a mutation having a beneficial effect are extremely low.
Yes, that's true. But every organism is basically guaranteed to have somewhere between 5 and 50 mutations (that's a very rough, imprecise ballpark estimate). So, per generation, that's millions of mutations, several (say, less than 10) of which will probably be beneficial.
You're right that a beneficial mutation isn't likely. But there are so many muations per new generation that benefical mutations are a certainty.

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 Message 15 by CreepingTerror, posted 12-14-2004 10:35 PM CreepingTerror has not replied

crashfrog
Member (Idle past 1691 days)
Posts: 19762
From: Silver Spring, MD
Joined: 03-20-2003


Message 20 of 43 (168331)
12-15-2004 12:08 AM
Reply to: Message 19 by Rrhain
12-14-2004 11:59 PM


What a great post. It's like "Rrhain's Greatest Hits."

This message is a reply to:
 Message 19 by Rrhain, posted 12-14-2004 11:59 PM Rrhain has not replied

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