Do you believe in Evolution?

[Kriotek]

sorry double post but addition to what i just said.

i am asking as there is alot of posts about evolution and adaption but not alot in the way of against it.

[MrHazz]

Here is a good one. Why do you think Albert Einstein believed in God.
He was one of the smartest men of our time.

[drunken_chef]

Here is a good one. Why do you think Albert Einstein believed in God.
He was one of the smartest men of our time.

as several people have stated. believing or not believing in god shouldn't matter. now if your "religion" preaches against it, thats a different matter.

ps, Einstein believed in god and evolution

[omfg karl marx]

Here is a good one. Why do you think Albert Einstein believed in God.

It simply wasn't socially acceptable to be agnostic or an atheist. Hell, it still isn't. A recent poll showed that people were more likely to vote for a woman, a homosexual, or any minority than to vote for an atheist. Anyway, Einstein would best be considered agnostic or possibly a deist. He might have believed that a god may have create the universe, but that'd be about the extent of it.

[ThisElfRocksHard]

Adaptation and Evolution may have a somewhat similar definition, but are different.

If you wan to get technical, even Darwin didn't believe in spontaneous evolution. He believed in evolution through natural selection. So, according to him, man did not appear out of the blue, but rather, the mutants of a species that had a particular trait that was beneficial to their survival carried on (and subsequently passed that gene onto their offspring) while the non-mutants did not. So, as one group of individuals adapted to their environment, the others would not be naturally selected to survive and die off.

So, adaptation to one's surroundings enables evolution. Does that clear up the definition for you?

[drunken_chef]

Here is a good one. Why do you think Albert Einstein believed in God.

It simply wasn't socially acceptable to be agnostic or an atheist. Hell, it still isn't. A recent poll showed that people were more likely to vote for a woman, a homosexual, or any minority than to vote for an atheist. Anyway, Einstein would best be considered agnostic or possibly a deist. He might have believed that a god may have create the universe, but that'd be about the extent of it.

i'm getting old and in general would rather not expound on my thoughts. omfg karl marx, i think i love you, keep up the good fight man!

[drunken_chef]

Adaptation and Evolution may have a somewhat similar definition, but are different.

If you wan to get technical, even Darwin didn't believe in spontaneous evolution. He believed in evolution through natural selection. So, according to him, man did not appear out of the blue, but rather, the mutants of a species that had a particular trait that was beneficial to their survival carried on (and subsequently passed that gene onto their offspring) while the non-mutants did not. So, as one group of individuals adapted to their environment, the others would not be naturally selected to survive and die off.

So, adaptation to one's surroundings enables evolution. Does that clear up the definition for you?

i like it

[L_Mo]

I find this thread amussing to be honest. In all honesty I don't know what to believe. Adaptation and Evolution may have a somewhat similar definition, but are different.

Until I find exact correct proof, I'm nuetral.

Assassin, I'm sorry I didn't find this thread sooner.. would have been fun. First, you will never find exact proof of anything. I wish science teachers would emphasize that more - I didn't even get that beaten into my skull until college physics. Anyway, all we have to go on are theories.. Time tests these theories and we slowly begin to trust one theory over another - but it's very possible that another theory will come alone that will be more correct than the first one (take quantum over Newtonian physics..). Today evolutionary theory is strongly supported by scientists, and they have a good reason for this.

Anyway, I won't get into all the details of evolution... if you're really curious I'd be willing to explain your arguments in a PM, but people have done a pretty fair job of it here. The thing is, there is plenty of hard evidence that support evolutionary theory (e.g. the entire continent of Australia). If you choose not to seek an understanding, then that's fine too. You don't have to believe it either, I just mean you have to properly understand what facts are out there before you can decide for yourself. Based on your first posts, you don't have all these facts.

I'm not trying to be mean at all, the questions you asked (why are monkeys still around if we came from monkeys, how did a poodle evolve from a wolf) are very common (but good) questions and it shows you've actually thought about it. However, evolutionary theory provides very clear answers to these questions... So if you want to investigate the validity of evolutionary theory, don't look for "proof," look for a proper understanding.

[thedeadlyassassin]

No offense to anyone but I hate reading really really posts and pretty much just ignore them. Nothing against anyone I just prefer to scan through or make quick checks.



The main reason behind the thread, is to get to know people better, and I've learned some things I really didn't want to about some of you guys. I'm not going to make any comments or names passed that sentence.


I just thought it'd be cool to see what people think.

[Trooper110]

If you don't want serious discussion and don't want to listen to people's opinions and have facts pointed out to you, then don't ask questions along this line. This is a high profile type of question with people in all kinds of walks of life discussing and arguing about it. I've been happy to see real discussion and talks here rather than the flame war I was afraid might occur.

As far as skipping over the long posts, well, all I have to say is that in a lot of cases you're missing out on some really good information.

[Dead_And_Gone]

I'm proud that this thread has remained civil and intellectual.

There is a theory that the radiation from the Sun helps or causes evolution. Those animals that are land based, or even closer to the equator receive more radiation, and jump starts evolution. Creatures that live in the deep oceans 1 mile or more down receive little radiation. That is why we see Science stories about fish/plants/invertebrae that were recently caught or washed up, that haven't changed at all from fossils found that are thousands or millions of years old. I love those deep diving subs that explore down there.

There would be More evolution in Man, but civilized areas of the world keep people alive that would ordinarily would have died from bad evolution tracks. I.E. Inherited abnormalities, susceptible to diseases, inherited traits that are anti-survival based, etc... In a dog-eat-dog environment, those that went down a bad evolutionary tree died out. As a modern society, we don't normally allow those "Bad Tree's" to die, so they continue and propagate. Survival of the fit no longer applies.

So we have inherited liabilites that continue to be integrated into society.

I.E. an Albino rabbit species tree would not survive long in a warm weather predator rich environment.

[thedeadlyassassin]

If you don't want serious discussion and don't want to listen to people's opinions and have facts pointed out to you, then don't ask questions along this line. This is a high profile type of question with people in all kinds of walks of life discussing and arguing about it. I've been happy to see real discussion and talks here rather than the flame war I was afraid might occur.

As far as skipping over the long posts, well, all I have to say is that in a lot of cases you're missing out on some really good information.

I've had my only question answered thank you, there really is no need for your post. I can ask a question, and choose what to read or what not to. Missing on information, well, that's my own fault and realize it, and don't need it pointed out. Thanks for trying though

[MrHazz]

[Kriotek]

im surprised as well that it didnt get a bit more heated as it is challenging peoples beleives about one thing or the other it was kept civil rather well with some really great info .

[BigTwinky]

This thread went from really interesting to totally stupid.