Okay, on the Evolution thing......?

Question

I keep hearing people say its not a theory anymore, it is fact. And yet, everything I have read on it, scientific, not religious biased, still says it is an unproven theory.

So, Im curious, if you who call in fact, could provide me some non-biased links that state it is a proven fact. No books please, internet links only. Thanks.

Oh, and if you have some non-biased links stating it is not yet proven, Id appreciate those too.

Answer 1

It's stated as a "theory" becuase that is a scientific way of saying things. You believe in the THEORY of aerodynamics if you've ever been on a plane, but that too is worded as a theory. Ditto the THEORY of gravity.

This article, "Evolution is a Fact and a Theory" is good
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/evolution-fact.html

Answer 2

Evolution is both a fact and a theory.

We'll start with the definition of "evolution." Evolution is the change in alleles over time. Without getting too technical, an allele is a biological trait. We can look at them in DNA and see how they change in a population, be it a laboratory experiment or a group in the wild. Each generation of an organism passes on certain traits to the following generations. That is a fact.

The theory of evolution is the idea of natural selection and the re-building of the tree of life. A theory is a testable scientific conclusion that best fits the facts of any given set of data. In terms of evolution, the best theory that fits the fact of the diversity of life is that of natural selection, that those organisms who are best suited to the environment in which they live will reproduce.

As far as it being "proven" or not, I'm not certain what "scientific" sources you're looking at. The theory of evolution works, and it works a vast majority of the time. Of course it isn't perfect, but that's the way science is. That's the way life is. But it works well enough to cure disease on a scale never known before in the history of the planet; it has given us the ability to make more food than ever before, and has made it healthier to boot; it has unlocked the very heart of the human species. It does all of this because it is proven, it is testable, and it is applicable.

There are plenty of sources; read Carl Zimmer's Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea. It's an excellent primer on how evolution works. Check out the Evolution 101 podcast. It too is an excellent beginner's resource on how evolution works.

Answer 3

You should take some time to study how science works.

Evolution is a theory backed up by massive amounts of facts. Science works by choosing the "best possible explaination based on the available evidence". So the best theory of origins (ie: Evolution) is usually given lots of reverence, because no other theory has more facts supporting it and it has never been conclusively disproven. But it is entirely possible that a set of facts will reveal themselves in the future that would disprove the theory of evolution.

Creation is NOT a scientific theory, it is a spiritual conjecture. The story of creation cannot be proven wrong so it does not qualify as a theory.

Answer 4

Ignore those that claim it's not longer a theory. It is and will always be a theory. Not theory can be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. It just happens that there is more supporting documentation for evolution than any other scientific theory.

Answer 5

Evolution is, as you said, a fact. However, you must be careful about calling it an unproven one. It's true that it has not been determined that it is 100% true. However, there is a lot of evidence to support it. By saying unproven, whether you know it or not, you are implying that there is not enough evidence to classify it as a THEORY.

Answer 6

It is a fact that living creatures evolve - that is, they pass on beneficial mutations until that mutation becomes a normal part of their genetic make-up. This is observable in nature - bacteria becoming resistant to anti-septics, humans increasing in height over generations, etc. This is micro-evolution and it is a fact.

The THEORY of evolution as a way to explain how we got to human (or squirrel or badger, whatever) from single cells organisms, is still theory - that is, a plausible explanation based on scientific facts. Those facts being the evolution we see around us and transitional species like neanderthals and this fish:
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa027&articleID=000A040D-36A2-1434-B6A283414B7F0000
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=ECC43BE1-E7F2-99DF-39AD691683DE05AD&ref=rss.

So what people are saying is that creatures do, in fact, evolve. What is generally considered the "theory" of evolution can not be proven unless we can go back in time and observe the process happening.

Answer 7

A fact in science is not the same as a mathematical fact. It means proven by such a weight of evidence that it would be perverse to question its validity, and believe me-evolution is as certain as anything in science can be regardless of creationist rhetoric. Mechanisms are theoretical, that evolution occurs is not even remotely in doubt and it really is absurd to see anyone suggest that it could be. Only the ignorant or bigotted question that it occurs.

Answer 8

If there was as much proof for the existence of a god as there is for Evolution, everyone would be on their knees praying to that god, day and night, without decent. Evolution is the best explanation we have come up with yet and blows all other explanations out the window,

Answer 9

I agree with the first reply. Gravity is called a theory. But you'd call it fact, wouldn't you? After all, if gravity wasn't fact, you'd float off into space.

Answer 10

Evolution is not a fact. Those who hold to this are as religious as creationists. The big problem with evolution is that people try to erase the line between the FACT and the INTERPRETATION of the fact. They try to make the interpretation part of the fact. For example:

FACT: The Grand Canyon exists.
INTERPRETATION #1: It got that way by a LITTLE bit of water and a LOT of time.
INTERPRETATION #2: It got that way by a LOT of water and a LITTLE bit of time.

The evolutionist tries to merge interpretation #1 to become part of the fact, which it's not.

Example #2:

FACT: The Grand Canyon has layers.
INTERPRETATION #1: It got that way from millions of years of dirt being laid down.
INTERPRETATION #2: It got that way by hydrologic sorting (from a Flood).

Again, the evolutionist tries to mesh his interpretation into the fact. Wrong approach, again.

Example #3:

FACT: There are fossils.
INTERPRETATION #1: As animals died, they left their bones behind for us to find.
INTERPRETATION #2: These animals were buried rapidly in sediment from a global Flood.

For one thing, when animals die, if they do not get buried immediately, they rot, or are eaten by other animals and scattered. In order to be preserved as fossils, they MUST be buried rapidly, and almost ALL fossils are found in sedimentary rock! (That means the rock used to be mud.) Other fossils are found in coal and amber, which are evidence of being buried among tons of trees (also destroyed in the Flood).