Faith in Evilution part 4: Dude Where's My Ancestor?

Question

Evolution changes its mind (Again)
Science is theory based on evidence. That changes, and changes, and changes, and changes. So, when can we finally call it fact???

Ok if a painter tells you how he painted a picture and what he says is written down, and unchanged for 2000 years, that doesn't make it a theory that would make it a FACT. An UNCHANGING FACT. Just like the bible.

Answer 1

Dunno what to say to that except.... that I agree.
Cheers.

Answer 2

"In popular usage, a theory is just a vague and fuzzy sort of fact and a hypothesis is often used as a fancy synonym to `guess'. But to a scientist a theory is a conceptual framework that explains existing observations and predicts new ones. For instance, suppose you see the Sun rise. This is an existing observation which is explained by the theory of gravity proposed by Newton. This theory, in addition to explaining why we see the Sun move across the sky, also explains many other phenomena such as the path followed by the Sun as it moves (as seen from Earth) across the sky, the phases of the Moon, the phases of Venus, the tides, just to mention a few. You can today make a calculation and predict the position of the Sun, the phases of the Moon and Venus, the hour of maximal tide, all 200 years from now. The same theory is used to guide spacecraft all over the Solar System.

A hypothesis is a working assumption. Typically, a scientist devises a hypothesis and then sees if it ``holds water'' by testing it against available data (obtained from previous experiments and observations). If the hypothesis does hold water, the scientist declares it to be a theory."

"Moreover, "fact" doesn't mean "absolute certainty"; there ain't no such animal in an exciting and complex world. The final proofs of logic and mathematics flow deductively from stated premises and achieve certainty only because they are not about the empirical world. Evolutionists make no claim for perpetual truth, though creationists often do (and then attack us falsely for a style of argument that they themselves favor). In science "fact" can only mean "confirmed to such a degree that it would be perverse to withhold provisional consent." I suppose that apples might start to rise tomorrow, but the possibility does not merit equal time in physics classrooms."

Answer 3

Well it's called the theory of evolution for a reason, when it becomes proven fully then it becomes fact. Though it basically is fact now because there is so much evidence.

That said, divine intervention is also a theory, it has less proof, or as I recall none beyond the bible, which itself isn't a historical book. If it ever becomes proven fully it will become fact, but that seems less likely compared to evolution studies.

Also, I like to think of how much grander the whole scheme is if there is a divine being like God and if he created evolution, which is also implied in the bible through his creation of animals before man. This would mean that God isn't done writing the entire chapter on humanity but instead has made it an ever growing and mutable creation, an unfinished diamond in a way, where you know that the brilliance of the finished product will shine beautifully.

I find it quite limiting to think that a divine being would create us from scratch as the best thing ever, as his finest creation, and then not give us room to grow.

Answer 4

Fact is only fact as long as it takes someone to find evidence that it is incorrect and requires revision.

Think back to Christopher Columbus for example. It was accepted 'fact' that the world was flat for the time (although it had already been determined to be round by the Greeks, but that knowledge was 'lost' during the Dark Ages). He proved the Earth was round and therfore, all facts and accepted knowledge was called into question. There are numerous other examples throughout history of the same process.

The term 'Theory of Evolution' is actually more accurate as stated by one of the previous people in this string.

Answer 5

I'm happy to call the whole collection the Theory of Evolution. It goes nicely with the Theory of Gravity. The fact that theories are constantly reviewed based on new evidence demonstrates their validity.

Answer 6

Evolution as a whole is accepted as fact by science and researchers and scientists.

It seems there are a few religious nuts who have problems with it these days. However, I guess people should remember that in the past whenever religion and science went up against each other, science always won.

Answer 7

So you're basically saying "Anything that doesn't stick to its initial ideas should be dismissed".

Not only is that 100% closed minded, it's stupid. I shouldn't need to tell you why it is stupid but hey I will anyway:

If I were to claim something and then someone proved me wrong in part but not 100%, it would mean that at least part of my work had worth. It wouldn't mean that I should throw everything out, that would just be childish and show unwillingness to admit failure.

The scientific community does not have a problem admitting failure, the fact that our knowledge of the world is IMPROVING, not just changing, shows this.

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Urm.. someone claimed above that Columbus proved the world was not flat. This is a common misconception. Everyone knew the world was round several centuries before Columbus.

Answer 8

When you find a missing link.

There are still a few problems with it.

1. No conclusive evidence, we haven't found a missing link.

And in my opinion..

if the only living thing,, wayy back was a single-celled organism, then where did it get its food?



By the way, someone said the bible isn't a historical book.. please state the historical errors you have found.


And please, please quit including the bible until you have established a good argument... if you don't make a good one and include the bible, it just makes Christians look even worst in already biased eyes.

Answer 9

Read the latest copy of Newsweek (about evolution and the human brain.)
And we can only call something a fact when we know postively that it is. Up till then, its all theory.

Answer 10

UHUUUUU!!!

NEVER!!! There is no scientific truth!!! And that's why You can't fight religion with science and vice versa. They're different sports!!!