Can we really call evolution science?

Question

Evolution is not science. I'll give you an exact quote from a dictionary, what the word SCIENCE means. Science: 1. Originally, knowledge 2. Systematized knowledge derived from observation, study, and experimentation. 3. A branch of knowledge, especially one concerned with establishing and systematizing facts, principles, and methods.
If you say evolution is science your going against the meaning. Evolution is not fact, it's theory. The definition says that science is observation and facts. Is evolution observation and fact?! I don't think so!

If you think creationism is a bunch of crud then conferm that thought after you take a look at this website: http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/qa.asp

For everyones information, I'm home schooled. That explains why I'm so "stupid"

Answer 1

evolution is fake.
God created the world in 6 days.

Answer 2

Yes, the Theory of Evolution is based on observation and facts. The fact is that animals observably change over time, think about the different breeds of dogs as an example. The Theory of Evolution is science's best current guess at explaining that. The reason it's considered a theory, and not a law, is because there is supportive evidence, but not enough to prove it entirely and conclusively.

It falls within that second definition "Systematized knowledge...". A theory is a stage of the system of the Scientific Method. So while incomplete, the Theory of Evolutions IS science. The people who fight steadfastly and zealously that it is a fact are mistaken, but so are you, so it's a wash.

Answer 3

You are being too broad. Some evolution is indeed science. Darwin's theory was never as broad as many people think. It's quite a remarkable stretch to connect "Lucy's" bones with that of modern man and frankly science has yet to find the supposed link.

Darwin's theory is applied most successfully within a species. We know that humans are taller today on average than they were in say the 1860's. We also know that the basic ideas of evolution are readily apparent in the natural world. Those member of a species most able to survive are also most likely to pass on their genes and ensure the overall survival of the species. It's really pretty simple.

Where the science begins to take leaps for me personally is the idea that modern man somehow emerged from early hominids. Frankly, the notion is counter-intuitive to the theories of evolution.

And let's be real, sharks and cockroaches have been on the planet for millions of years and they are still sharks and cockroaches, they have not made some sort of evolutionary leap making them something altogether different.

So yes I believe evolution can be characterized as science, but we have to be very careful with its application. I really struggle with the idea that lifeforms will evolve from one species to another. I just don't believe the current fossil record supports such an idea. And again this plays very much into the hands of folks who point out that apes are still apes...and I think that really is the essence of the debate. Evolution simply isn't strong enough to explain why we are here and honestly why there is any life at all.

Answer 4

"2. Systematized knowledge derived from observation, study, and experimentation"

Evolution has been proven to exist, at least today. It doesn't necessarily mean that humans must have derived from monkeys.

Essentially, this is all evolution amounts to: an animal is born with a "good mutation". For example, a bird is born with a longer beak and is able to better reach the bugs inside a tree. Then, another bird mates with it, and the baby inherits the long beak and makes more babies with long beaks. Evolution has just occured in that situation. Scientists have observed that exact situation happening on an island somewhere, actually. Also, the lizards on the Galapagos islands are evolving.

Therefore, evolution is knowledge derived from research, thus making it science.

Why is it so hard for you to believe?

Answer 5

Evolution: 2. Systematized knowledge derived from observation, study, and experimentation. 3. A branch of knowledge, especially one concerned with establishing and systematizing facts, principles, and methods.

Yes. That works.

The theory of evolution was developed through observation, study, and experimentation. Just like the theory of gravity (Christians - if it's only a theory, float in the air).

It systematizes facts (like the existence of the fossil record and the more recent discovery of the DNA record), principles (e.g. natural selection, sexual displays, punctuated equilibrium), and methods (e.g. random mutation, gene swapping, transposition).

It has been proven over and over again in agriculture using human rather than natural selection and it has been observed in action a number of times.

Neither creationism nor the website could be called a bunch of crud. That would be insulting to the crud.

Answer 6

Obviously you don't even know what the word evolution means. Nor do you know what theory means. If you are going to post moronic questions on here at least learn what the words mean.

Evolution is a change in allele frequencies in a population over time. This is an observed fact!

A theory is "a coherent group of general propositions used as principles of explanation for a class of phenomena" [Random House American College Dictionary]. The term does not imply tentativeness or lack of certainty.

Answer 7

My aren't we ticked off today. I am going to use your own words to prove my theory. Creation at one time was thought to be only 2000 yrs ago, then scientists began to find artifacts that are well over 2000 yrs old. Observation and facts my friend. Many would say that there is no proof of Jesus, God, Mary or the burning bush, but a little book called the Bible gives Christians reasons to believe. I did a term paper on this and my conclusion is its both. We were just misinformed about how old the earth is-not that God did not make it or man, man who became the scientist and proved that Lucy the hominid found in the Olduvai Gorge was the oldest found to date. I did a term paper on that as well. Evolution and Creation same thing. Does not mean we came from apes. Just that man evolved from something to us.

Answer 8

Evolution is not science. Evolution is a theory based on science, which is the observation and interpretation of data (not "facts"). It is interpretive. It is verified to an exceptionally high degree by field and laboratory observation and its findings have been scrutinized by skeptical peers over the course of a century. Where they have challenged its findings, new findings have emerged. Where they have tested its findings and failed to disprove it, something close to "fact" emerges. It is grounded on more evidence than virtually any other theory in science.

You are sounding desperate. But you need to learn to deal with it. It's here and it isn't going away.

It it's such a bad thing, why don't you and all your Christian friends pray and get god to do something bad to someone who represents evolution? Make Richard Dawkins fall off his bike in front of a bus? Make Steve Jones choke on a fishbone? Make E.O. Wilson fall down some stairs? Or just deny that they have the answers? Can't your god do that? With lots of prayer? Really?

Answer 9

Evolutionary science is a real sience and fits the definition 2 on your list.

Evolution is a sceintific theory. Sceintific theories are different than facts in that they are backed up by multiple facts. One good fact can also disprove a sceintific theory. So far no fact has been discovered that has disproven evolution. You should read a book to learn more about this like one of Thomas Samuel Kuhn's books. It will help you understand the definition of science better than you do.

If you don't believe in evolution DO NOT GO TO THE DOCTOR, almost everything they have learned in medical school derives from evolutionary biology. It is the foundation of modern medicine.

Answer 10

If not evolution, what then? creationism? Are you implying that creationism is an observation of facts and not theory? Facts from who? The creators of the bible? You, my friend, are what we like to call around here a TROLL. Just trying to get people who don't believe your religious views going. Go Troll somewhere else Troll. Ok? Troll

Answer 11

Certain parts of evolution is indeed facts and observations. It might, however, be an incorrect observation and facts. But the theory of evolution and the path to prove it is following the guidelines of scientific methods.