Proofs of Evolution
Offline Evolution is both a fact and a theory. It's ashame that theory is so often confused with a claim yet to be proven, ignorance like this is inexcusable. The data to prove that evolution is occuring, is all around us. The theory or mechanism in which it occurs is being discussed by the worlds best scientists everyday.
Here is a small list of Evolutionary references I've compiled:
29 Evidences for MACROEVOLUTION.
A great summation of evolution.
A rebuttal to someone who doesn't understand evolution.
On Observed Speciation and Speciation Models:
More details on the salamanders, with additional links
Another article on Himalayan song birds
Ringed-speciation model and examples, plus links
On Behavior, Reciprocal Altruism and the Evolution of Behavior:
Behavior models (registration required)
The Origins of Right and Wrong in Humans and Other Animals
Chimps show sense of fair play
Genes, altruism and evolution (with more links)
Kin selection and reciprocal altruism
On the Evolution of “Complexity”
Evolution of human intellect and diet
Music and the relation to language (registration required)
More on the evolution of religion
Complex evolution in the laboratory
YouTube Video on Eye Evolution.
In Scientific Reality,
Mike (Yellow Number 5)
The Rational Response Squad Scientist
I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world. - Richard Dawkins
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I think the miscoceptions come from ignorance of scientific method. If you've got an idea that seems plausable but hasn't been thoroughly tested, you've got a hypothosis. If your hypothosis has yielded positive proof through testing, yet there are too many factors to declare it absolute (meaning the same with every occurance), you've got a theory. If that theory proves itself to be unchanging no matter the circumstances, you've got a law. Hence the difference between the "theory" of evolution and the "law" of gravity. Gravity is gravity is gravity, it has very specific traits and always folows them. Evolution is chaos in action, for the most part, it changes with species, environment, and interaction with both. More people need to familiarize themselves with these basic precepts of science.
The darkness of godlessness lets wisdom shine.
I am the radical and variable to counter act on your alpha and omega! The One True Juggernaut, and. . . I WILL BASH AND CUT DOWN THOSE THAT CANNOT BE TAUGHT!!!
Evolution has very little in the way of guidelines, it's very random and chaotic. As for a time it didn't work, where are the Neanderthals? Evolution didn't seem to work out so well for them. Or how about Carcharadon Megalodon, or the Tasmanian Tiger, or any number of species now exticnt because evolution worked them into a corner they couldn't get out of. All because they became too specialized for a certain type of environment and when their environment changed, they couldn't adapt quickly enough and therefore went extinct. Note that I'm not including Dinosaurs, that was a freak cosmic accident, or the Dodo, that was our stupidity. If you want more examples, just let me know.
The darkness of godlessness lets wisdom shine.
Suffice it to say, you’re both wrong and both right.
Gravity is a law - as well as a theory and a fact; much like evolution is.
We can express how gravity works in a very simple equation: the force of gravity is the product of the masses in question, divided by their product in respect to the gravitational constant. That’s all well and good. That’s the LAW of gravitation. There is also the theory of gravitation that endeavors to explain why matter has mass and gravitational force. There is also the fact of gravitation that explains why it hurts when I hold a brick over your head and drop it.
Evolution is not simple enough at the moment to be described in a single equation as gravity is - hence evolution is not a law. However, the theory of evolution explains the facts that we observe in a coherent, scientific, evidenced based and logical manner. That life changes over time is the FACT of evolution, the theory of natural selection explains these simple facts.
Please endeavor to understand the differences between these terminologies. A theory is not subservient to a law - they are fundamentally different things.
Please give this a listen:
http://www.rationalresponders.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=592&start=0
It's the "Mailbag Response: Dissent from an atheist" in the front page Flam player.
I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world. - Richard Dawkins
Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server.
Maybe I just didn't expalin my self clearly enough. I was trying to put it in a nutshell, more or less, but you just said exactly what I meant.
The darkness of godlessness lets wisdom shine.