Sorry, it is still just an unfalsified theory.

Look it up.

A theory is an explanation of a set of related observations or events based upon proven hypotheses and verified multiple times by detached groups of researchers. One scientist cannot create a theory; he can only create a hypothesis.

Tell NASA to look it up too

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/YBA/cyg...vitation3.html

Hell, that's not Christian doctrine...

That's Libertarian :)

Wow, this topic again. I'll be glad when mankind evolves. I'll also be glad when people learn the definition of the word "theory". It's not a guess, and it's not dogma. It also is not synonymous with "unproven".

Neanderthals were actually the same species as us but were a subspecies.

There was a degree of genetic transfer between Neanderthals (Homo sapiens neandertalensis) and Cro Magnon Man (Homo sapiens sapiens - modern humans), which means that some of the Neanderthal genetic code is alive and well within some humans today, albeit highly diluted.

Ultimately, the Neanderthals couldn't compete with the intelligent Cro Magnons and died out about 35,000-40,000 years ago, if memory serves.

It is also a theory. If you were to read my post which you quoted you would have notice the sentence "Theory means a different thing in science than it does in common language."

Humans are still the only species of life that are self-aware.

That's got to make you feel a bit special, even if it was just a freak accident of nature.

Sure it makes me feel special.... doesn't make me want to believe in fairy tales though.

:1orglaugh

thanks, im well aware of the scientific process.

however, there is a scientific law which Newton formulated called the Law of Universal Gravitation. it is proven mathematically that there is such a thing as gravity -believe me, i'm not making it up.

if there's any doubt in your mind that it's not gravity holding your ass to that chair your sitting in, you need to go back to 3rd grade where you learned about the apple falling from the tree.

back to evolution...

radiation, temperature/climate changes and mutation. need i say more?

humans are always evolving. glitches in the dna code create various differences.. less visible now because there's more people now with different dna structures.. plus we dont marry our cousins anymore. but for example.. in the last few hundred years humans have grown almost a foot in height, and it is becoming more and more common that people are born without an appendix or wisdom teeth.

I'll ask you for the second time to reread what I wrote before.

A "theory" in science can still be fact. It doesn't mean the same as in layman speech.

Gravity has been proven by maths.
Evolution has been proven by observation, the fossil record, biochemistry, genetics, bio-mechanics, etc, etc, etc.

If you want to call the Theory of Evolution the Fact of Evolution or the Law of Evolution then do so. It is still true whatever it is called.

That's not entirely accurate. Other primates and certain mammals display a degree of self-awareness.

Humans are always evolving, but at a very slow pace now that we have huge control over our environment.

The growth of humans is little do to with evolution but has alot to do with optimisation of our genes by eating better food, better healthcare and sanitation and generally more healthy lifestyles.

For example, a man who lived 300 years ago may well have genes which coded for growth to 6' but because his diet was poor and he lived in an unsanitary environment he may have only reached the height of 5'8''.


Future factors governing the direction that human evolution will take will be such things as the possession of the religious gene. Those with it are less likely to procreate than those without it. This is being demonstrated in Iraq right now where those with the religious gene are being killed by Allied troops whilst those without it (who just want to live a peaceful life rather than trying to create an Islamic dictatorship) are generally surviving.

A theory and a law are two different thing in the scientific process. For a Theory to become a Law, it must be scientifically [iproven. There is proof behind theories, but the theory itself cannot be proven. If it was, it would become a law. All Laws start as Theories but not all Theories become Laws.

Bored aliens.

Just to poke the ant hill. God did it all in 7 days a few thousand years ago, satan made all the evidence to the contrary.

Where is your god when so many of his choosen creations made in his image are dying everyday. When religious zealots are killing in his name in violation of his laws?

I proclaim my god is Bacchus, lets have another drink and some naked women.

Evolution is accepted as fact to the same degree as is gravity by modern science, so call it what you will.

The religious freaks do not have a leg to stand on :)

God is bullsh*t.

But evolution fails to explain the millions of various creatures on earth. You have to consider:

1) Their would have to be millions of ideal conditions to have existed over millions of years for life to exist as a single cell and to "evolve" into other organisms. We all know how fragile life - you don't get enough energy in the form of food, water, or air - you're dead.

2) All so called examples of speciation are contentious. They are extremely rare and when they supposedly occur, it hardly seems like a new species is created. More like the same species with some slight changes. The fruitfly link posted in this thread is a good example of how we try to stretch the truth about findings to support the theory. And within the scientific community their is no agreement yet as to whether it occurs or not.

3) Much of the evidence that supports evolution can be used to support an alternate theory. That creatures as they exist today always existed in their current form. Whatever bones you find may be abberations or may be of species that died out long ago completely unrelated to those that exist today. What we do know is that man has been in his current form for thousands of years.

4) Evolutionary theory is supported for scientific as well as political reasons. We could bomb every other nation on earth tomorrow to have full control on earth, and at the end declare that it's an example of "the survival of the fittest" as a weak way to justify our actions. If you believe that you're somehow superior than others by virtue of evolution, you can sleep at night even if you're actually brutalizing your equals.

5) Looking out your front door and observing not only the millions of animals (birds, insects, germs, beasts, trees) and the trillions of cells it takes to make each one, but also the natural balance of things (predator/prey), one has to put their sheer faith in evolution theory because no amount of evidence thus far can allow an impartial mind to accept that a handful of cells that magically appeared led to the grandeur of life we see on earth.

6) Many examples of "evolution" are actually only examples of natural selection or recessive mutations that are passed off as evolution. Evolution is a positive force not a negative one. When they breed dogs to the point where they can hardly breed on their own, that's not an example of evolution. If everything evolved in that manner there would be no life on earth.

Evolution isn't fact, its a theory, therefore not proven.

There is room for debate in this thread regarding evolution, not gravity.

that last post was b.s. sorry. one cell organism in water...fish. one cell organism on rock...climbing lizard. etc. etc. bottom line is there is NO evidence for creationism...and SOME eveidence for evolution. plus...taking over the world and breeding dogs is FORCED evolution...we're talking natural evolution. supposing that us taking over the world has something to do with this tells me you are religious...it's the only way forced evolution makes sense.

That's correct.

Evolution thus far relies on a myriad of aggregate evidence that will support it if one interprets that evidence as such and assumes that the many assumptions underlying that evidence is correct (for instance that the world as it exists today existed in relatively similar way millions of years ago seeing that it takes such an environment to support fragile life).

Many will say that the overwhelming evidence supports it. I disagree. I do believe that their is a kernel of evidence that suggests it may be true, but should be demonstrated (if possible).

This gets tiresome since it is a recurring debate.

The best evidence for evolution is genome research.

When I studied embryology years ago we were taught ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny. If you watch the development of any vertibrate embryo you see the common evolution in the state of development.

Today with genome research they have confirmed common genes among species, with some very minor differences in the genome causing major differences in phenotype (appearence). Man is lot closer to frogs than we would want to admit.

Does this prove evolution, no but it has more and more evidence behind it. Could there have been some devine intervention, seeding of the planet by aliens who were god like, yes of course. We may never know unless them come back to check on their work.

I like the Grecoroman concept of the gods procreating with common humans, sounds good to me. Bring back the god of wine.

Breeding dogs as we've seen is not an example of evolution, much less forced evolution. Look, if you started messing around with human genes and implanted them into a woman, you might come out with a child with 3 legs. I wouldn't call that evolution. I would call that a mutant. Similarly I wouldn't call a dog that finds it difficult to breath and can hardly breed on it's own, a natural animal that could or would have evolved. Thus it's not evolution.

Taking over the world is not evolution. You missed the point. I gave an example of how their are some out their that will use the theory for their own agenda. People like you claim that those who don't believe in evolution are "religious". Couldn't be further from the truth. I don't need a magical friend in the sky.

i haven't stated my opinion one way or the other, i just like watching people yell about what came first the chicken or the egg.

i do know however that the theory of evolution is based off scientific fact, whereas creationism is based off of man made documents. Unicorns and leprechauns are also based off of man made documents.

I agree. The bible is a book of fiction written by men in the dark ages to provide him with comfort by providing explanations of the unknown. It even has a "chosen people". I guess the rest of us just don't cut it to be selected as chosen people. Sucks to be us.

Evolution is based on an aggregate of facts, extrapolation, interpretation, and half truths.

Bush too

Only desperate creationists say that. :glugglug

I agree with a lot of what you're saying but there's a lot of historical facts in the bible. Never fails to amaze me that people who've never read it are the first to talk shit on it.

There are more factual errors than facts in the bible. They have been digging up the middle east for a century trying to prove the bible, rather unsuccessfully.

The gospels in the new testament don't even agree with each other and if you add the gospels they left out it become more of a comedy.

The one thing Islam hs going for is its that the Quran is " the world of god" spoken by god to his prophet and there are no conflicts since it says what ever was said last overrides what ever was said first. Makes it easy.

good point, no doubt HUGE inconsistencies in it...i had to read the quran for a middle eastern studies class once, never got through it all...what i find ironic is how many rednecks will say that the quran is utter garbage, but the bible is the word of god and to be taken literally.

The problem with 'historical facts' in the bible, if there are any, is that it doesn't make the bible true.

It's easy to place a fictional character (like Jesus) admidst real historical events and places. Think Forrest Gump.

http://www.xfactormedia.net/proof.jpg

Proof for the non believers

that is why they are called THEORIES...
because neither one has been proven.

that is the best PhotoCHOP ever!
Juicy will love it!!!

Scientific theories are never proven, they can only be falsified.

:glugglug