toldailytopic: The theory of evolution. Do you believe in it?
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toldailytopic: The theory of evolution. Do you believe in it? -
January 14th, 2011, 09:20 AM
The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for January 14th, 2011 10:17 AM
toldailytopic: The theory of evolution. Do you believe in it?
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I'm more of a strong proponent of the theory of revolution...though as with this everyone has their own spin on it.
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January 14th, 2011, 10:27 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Knight
Why would they?
Really, you dunno?
Do you believe or accept any theory that science has to offer?
Ok..
Id say the reason to accept it as real would be the massive amount of data, cross correlated with all the other physical science.
The existent data all supports the theory. No data exists that would falsify it. if somehow it were to be falsified, it would be the virtual destruction or complete destruction of all theory in all of the physical sciences. That is how tightly they are linked.
That is all we have for any theory or "law' in science.
We accept "Boyles law" or the like, and use them in practical applications all the time and they work great.
In the absence of an ability to run an infinite number of experiments under an infinite variety of conditions, we cannot say that Bolye's law is proven.
Is that a reason not to "believe" or accept any law of theory in science?
Now you answered my question, with a question of your own. Not really fair... can you answer the original question please? Why wouldnt you accept the ToE as real? (or any other theory)
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January 14th, 2011, 10:45 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by taikoo
... No data exists that would falsify it. if somehow it were to be falsified, it would be the virtual destruction or complete destruction of all theory in all of the physical sciences. That is how tightly they are linked.
Could this actually happen, though, taikoo? It seems to me that there isn't anything that could really falsify the ever-changing theory of the progression of things along evolutionary paths. It looks, from my vantage, like whenever any new data comes along that would tend to falsify it, the picture of evolution changes to fit the new data.
Don't get me wrong, I agree that our perception of the way things work should change with new information, but the theory of evolution is such an evolving thing as to render it unfalsifiable - or so it would appear.
What possible natural evidence would tend to falsify evolution rather than cause a major shift in the interpretation of the data so as to create a new model for evolution?
Oh right: what does evolution have to do with basic chemistry, the laws of motion, thermodynamics, electro-magnetism, that sort of thing? Not that these aren't used in the sciences concerning the study of evolution, just how would falsification of the ToE alter them?
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Could this actually happen, though, taikoo? It seems to me that there isn't anything that could really falsify the ever-changing theory of the progression of things along evolutionary paths. It looks, from my vantage, like whenever any new data comes along that would tend to falsify it, the picture of evolution changes to fit the new data.
Don't get me wrong, I agree that our perception of the way things work should change with new information, but the theory of evolution is such an evolving thing as to render it unfalsifiable - or so it would appear.
What possible natural evidence would tend to falsify evolution rather than cause a major shift in the interpretation of the data so as to create a new model for evolution?
Oh right: what does evolution have to do with basic chemistry, the laws of motion, thermodynamics, electro-magnetism, that sort of thing? Not that these aren't used in the sciences concerning the study of evolution, just how would falsification of the ToE alter them?
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January 14th, 2011, 11:01 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by nicholsmom
It looks, from my vantage, like whenever any new data comes along that would tend to falsify it, the picture of evolution changes to fit the new data.
Yup. The paradigm shifts to fit the new data. That's exactly what science does.
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January 14th, 2011, 11:13 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by nicholsmom
What possible natural evidence would tend to falsify evolution rather than cause a major shift in the interpretation of the data so as to create a new model for evolution?
Find us a few bones from tuna, a whale, a rabbit or a human alongside these critters:
Find us a mammoth or a big cat alongside these critters.
I can say it will never happen because evolution happened. But if it did happen, you'd have to throw out evolution because creatures would be appearing before they could have possibly evolved.
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January 14th, 2011, 11:23 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by nicholsmom
Could this actually happen, though, taikoo? It seems to me that there isn't anything that could really falsify the ever-changing theory of the progression of things along evolutionary paths. It looks, from my vantage, like whenever any new data comes along that would tend to falsify it, the picture of evolution changes to fit the new data.
Don't get me wrong, I agree that our perception of the way things work should change with new information, but the theory of evolution is such an evolving thing as to render it unfalsifiable - or so it would appear.
What possible natural evidence would tend to falsify evolution rather than cause a major shift in the interpretation of the data so as to create a new model for evolution?
Oh right: what does evolution have to do with basic chemistry, the laws of motion, thermodynamics, electro-magnetism, that sort of thing? Not that these aren't used in the sciences concerning the study of evolution, just how would falsification of the ToE alter them?
Quote:
It looks, from my vantage, like whenever any new data comes along that would tend to falsify it, the picture of evolution changes to fit the new data.
You would need to provide an example of this. You are stating it as if the WHOLE picture, of the basics changes. Not at all.
Quote:
Don't get me wrong, I agree that our perception of the way things work should change with new information, but the theory of evolution is such an evolving thing as to render it unfalsifiable - or so it would appear.
Nothing that i know of has ever come along to challenge or call for a modification of the basic concept... descent with modification over time.
The changes you refer to are tweaks! Like the discovery of a specimen of some species existed earlier than previously known.
its like say, t theory in aircraft flight dynamics. Flight is based on the application of the Bernouli principle to provide lift. Technicians constanly learn new little details about flight dynamics but that does not make the underlying theory a moving target; Bernouli principle holds firm.
Quote:
What possible natural evidence would tend to falsify evolution rather than cause a major shift in the interpretation of the data so as to create a new model for evolution?
simplest way to express the idea is the discovery of the Cambrian bunny.
Quote:
Oh right: what does evolution have to do with basic chemistry, the laws of motion, thermodynamics, electro-magnetism, that sort of thing? Not that these aren't used in the sciences concerning the study of evolution, just how would falsification of the ToE alter them
lets say that we find the bunny. Ok, then all of the physics that goes into radiometric dating goes out the window. With it goes atomic theory, the string pulls chemistry out the window with it, and poor old geology is left wandering around wondering how all this stuff happened.
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January 14th, 2011, 09:36 AM
I accept (believe is a bad word for it) the theory of evolution based on the mountains of evidence that supports it. It is in fact my favorite scientific theory, I enjoy learning about evolution and biology in general as a hobby.
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