Is evolution just a theory?

Question

No. Evolution is defined as change in the genetic structure of any species over time. That that occurs is an indisputable fact, because it is observed in laboratories and is supported by a comprehensive fossil record. That is the fact of evolution. Why does it happen, what are the biological mechanisms involved-that is subject to conjecture and is the theory part of evolution. Evolution is both an undeniable fact and a theory so creationists do yourselves a favour and stop churning out the same old "it's only a theory" rhetoric. There's nothing theoretical about evolutionary change in species.

Weldon,
You're right I am in despair-at the ignorance and intellectual dishonesty displayed by creationists.

Ladybug,
A fact in science isn't like a mathematical fact. It means supported by such a weight of evidence that it would be perverse to question it and evolution is supported by overwhelming evidence hence biologists talk about the fact of species evolution.

Cristina-Microevolution has been observed in fruit flies in laboratories. They exhibit minute genetic changes and adaptations over two or three generations proving that there is a biological mechanism acting on species to make them evolve. The folowing link details instances where speciation has been observed-


http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-speciation.html


so when creationists glibly state that evolution doesn't occur they are showing their ignorance of the facts.

Answer 1

Fundamentalists resist Evolution for the same reason their faith-ancestors reacted so violently to the suggestion that the sun, not the Earth, was the center of the solar system: they perceive it as a danger to their whole system of religious beliefs. The correctness of the heliocentric view ultimately won out in spite of strong theological objections, and so will Evolution.

I'm about halfway through _The Language of God_ written by Francis Collins, the head of the Human Genome Project and a Christian. I hope that Christians will read it and come to a better understanding of what a scientific theory is and, more specifically, what the Theory of Evolution is all about.

"By any reasonable standard, Young Earth Creationism has reached a point of intellectual bankruptcy, both in its science and in its theology. Its persistence is thus one of the great puzzles and great tragedies of our time.... [B]elievers would be well advised to look carefully at the overwhelming weight of scientific data supporting this view of the relatedness of all living things, including ourselves." ~ Francis S. Collins

And since today is MLK Day, I'll add the following from Reverend King: "Science keeps religion from sinking into the valley of crippling irrationalism and paralyzing obscurantism."

Answer 2

Yes, biological evolution, like the existence of atoms, is "only a theory". Or to be more specific, it is an idea supported by such prodigious volumes of evidence that the idea has been elevated from a mere hypothesis to the status of a scientific theory. People with no scientific background think of "theory" as any old idea that pops into someone's head, like the "theory" they have about why little Bobby is late from school. But an idea has to be thoroughly investigated and well supported by scientific evidence before it ever attains the status of scientific "theory". Has evolution been "proven"?? No. Neither has the existence of atoms. At least we have seen fossils. No-one has ever seen an atom. Still, atomic THEORY forms the entire foundation of science. The difference between "proven" and "supported by incontrovertible evidence" is so small as to be negligible.
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Answer 3

Yes.

Evolution is JUST a theory. In the same way that:

The Theory of Relativity is JUST a theory
The Gettisburg address was JUST a speech
WWII was JUST a war
Led Zeppelin were JUST a rock band
Muhammed Ali was JUST a boxer
Einstein was JUST a scientist
Beer is JUST a drink
The Bible is JUST a book

I am perfectly ready to accept that evolution is a fact. I would baulk at the "indisputable" part of it: I wouldn't accept any empirical theory has been put beyound doubt. That would mean that its a theory. I always have problems with this "just" business. The word is pejorative in this sense and totally inappropriate.

I wouldn't try proving to the creationists that evolution is "indisputable" - more that their claim that it is "just" a theory has no force whatsoever.

Answer 4

All scientific "knowledge" is a statement of theory as we know it. The ideas that we teach in school, actually in all subjects, are the best ideas that we have so far. But it would be poor science to not want to change ideas when a better idea that was still supported by the evidence came along. For example, there is plenty of evidence to support the idea that the world is flat. But when we realized that the world is actually a very large sphere, that was still supported by the evidence that we had, but it's a better theory.

Answer 5

A Theory in science is an explanation for an observed fact.

For example, the Theory of Gravity is an explanation for the observed fact that **** falls to the ground when you drop it.

Subsequently, the Theory of Evolution is a theory that explains The OBSERVED FACT that populations and species evolve over time.


Creationists who ramble that "it is just a theory" have never taken a science class in their entire lives.

Answer 6

A Theory of Evolution is any schema for organizing known facts about evolution. The only thing that changes a theory is more known facts to be accounted for (or possible discrediting of previous data). This is not conjecture, but science.

Answer 7

The trouble is, they don't want to accept it, so they grasp at anything.

There is a theory of Gravity, that doesn't mean gravity isn't a fact. And yes, there is a LAW of Gravity, which is not the Theory of Gravity.

Theory's have to do with HOW something is done, quite often. Relativity has been supported by evidence time and time again, but it's still the Theory of Relatitivy. Same with Evolution.

To be a Theory in Science, requires more evidence than many murders have to get convicted of murder. Massive amounts of supporting evidence. Even to get to the position of being an hypothesis requires tons more evidence than "Creation Science".

They apply common definitions of theory to a specific scientific definition, with erroneous results.

Answer 8

Well, it IS the theory of evolution. If you look at the scientific definition of theory it talks about how the majority of evidence points to a specific idea (in this case, evolution) before it is classified as a theory. Not all ideas are theories. Ideas are tested, researched and modified to become theories. Other theories include the theory of gravity and mathematics (number theory). People that are hellbent on disproving evolution with the idea that it's "only a theory" are idiots. They need to take a biology class. Or scream and curse their math teacher for teaching algebra as fact when it is, in fact, only a theory.

Answer 9

Not only is it supported by the fossil record but it is reinforced by the comparative genetics of living species. Addtionally, it is validated by related fields such as biogeography, epideiology, ecology and geology.

Of particular interest in the relatinship between geology and paleontology is the sudden arising of new forms following apparent impacts by large meteors. Geologists can identify impacts by spikes in iridium and paleontologt shows a surge in new forms after these impacts.

Answer 10

Correct. The theory that explains WHY that happens is called Natural Selection, from Charles Darwin's Origin of Species.

The word evolution never appears in that book, but it was widely understood among educated people that species change over time before Darwin. Darwin just explained why.