Just share any of your theories on how evolution can be disproved...I'm interested in hearing all of your input!
2007-09-06 15:30:12 · 13 answers · asked by aspyke13 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Also I would be happy to hear theories on proving evolution so that I can pick through them for details and evidence...
2007-09-06 15:35:55 · update #1
Sorry ... but you really, really bet on the wrong horse.
You should have started by investigating what the scientists think. You would then find out that over 98% of scientists accept evolution with overwhelming confidence.
That's tens of thousands of people with PhD.s in biology, genetics, biochemistry, organic chemistry, zoology, botany, paleontology, anthropology, etc. etc. ... as well as those with PhD.s in other fields that support such findings as a very old universe and earth ... such as geology, astronomy, astrophysics, physics, radiometry, etc. etc.
That's a lot of PhD.s. A lot of people who live, eat, and breathe science.
If you somehow feel you can "disprove evolution", that's a lot of people you are calling pretty stupid.
It was a bad bet. The scientists are right. Your teacher is right. You, I'm afraid, are wrong.
If you really want to pick through the evidence ... here, see my answer to this question:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvWwjQRt6FS8DTR_z.MnXL_ty6IX?qid=20061114162706AAJ3vs9
And feel free to email me if you have questions, or if you still want to debate evolution.
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BTW ... I agree with RJ and Aviator ... the only way to "win" this debate ... since you don't have the science on your side ... is to lie, lie, lie.
Other examples of how to lie like a creationist:
- Say that all scientists are atheists. This is not only irrelevant, it is untrue. About 40% of scientists who support evolution, also believe in God.
- Flat-out lie about science. For example, say things like "evolution violates the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics." Your teacher will correctly point out that this is based on a false interpretation of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics ... but your audience (other kids in the class) have no idea what thermodynamics *is* ... so it just sounds all "science-ie" ... so the audience will just conclude that this is all just too confusing ... which is your goal anyway.
- Use "straw man" logic. This means restating evolution in a really absurd way ... and then saying "see, isn't it absurd!" For example, say things like "why are there still monkeys?" ... which starts from the premise that today's monkeys are our ancestors, which is NOT what evolution says.
- Misquote scientists. This is called "quote mining" and is used when you are really desperate and have no integrity whatsoever. If you can't find credible scientists to support your side, then borrow a credible scientist from the evolution side and then twist his words so it sounds like the scientist is arguing *against* evolution. Heck, you can even do this with Darwin himself. For example, creationists *love* to quote from Chapter 6 of Darwin's Origin of Species ... the chapter where Darwin considers possible objections to evolution and then immediately answers them. Creationists *love* to quote Darwin expressing an objection to his own theory, and then leave out his reply to that objection ... making it sound like Darwin was rejecting his own theory! (Again, quote mining is not for the meek ... it should only be used if you really don't care about intellectual integrity at all.)
- Make up quotes ... slander the dead if you have to. If you really have no integrity whatsoever, you can resort to the famous "Did you know that Darwin recanted on his deathbed?" story. This is a story invented by an evangelist named Lady Hope who claimed to have personally converted Darwin as he died, even though nobody in Darwin's family confims anything of the sort, or even that she was anywhere near Darwin. Even though this contradicts *everything* Darwin wrote or said in his lifetime, this account from this single self-proclaimed "eyewitness" is repeated all the time by creationists. Again a lovely example of something that is both irrelevant *AND* false.
Lie like a rug. That's your only hope.
2007-09-06 17:09:31 · answer #1 · answered by secretsauce 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Well, evolution is true, so going for a fair debate won't work. You will need to try and "win" the arguments through misinformation and lies. Here are some ways to do this:
-explain that the theory of evolution has changed over time. How can scientists know that it won't change again? Doesn't this show that it is a faulty theory?
-Explain that science once thought the earth was flat. Doesn't this show that science can be wrong.
-Lastly, when you teacher is presenting science, and showing evolution, start interrupting them with nonsense. Just yell out "booop, beeep, aaaaaaahhhhhh". When the teacher pauses, say "continue" and start doing it some more. This will at least frustrate them and make you look more mature then you probably are.
But really, you are going down if you are trying to debate that evolution is false.
2007-09-07 03:46:34 · answer #2 · answered by Take it from Toby 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am not impressed with your science teachers. Your challenge only shows that you have not learned what science is. You do not understand what evolution is. You also did not learn critical thinking.
Science does not deal with truth or proof. Science is a tool. Science is a technology that allows us to reduce ignorance. Science allows one to ask questions, carefully test different models and figure out which model (theory) does the best job at both explaining and predicting the behavior of something.
You can't disprove evolution because evolution is a fact. You might as well try to disprove gravity. The theory of evolution by Natural Selection can be falsified (disproved) and people have been trying to do that for decades.
Lots of people.
People with lots of education and training.
People with lots of money and really cool tools.
But, so far, Natural Selection is still the only thing left standing that explains how evolution occurs. There are many ways to disprove natural selection. There are so many experiments and observations that are consistent with evolution by natural selection, that to falsify it would require extraordinary evidence. Not ARGUMENT but hard, concrete, verifiable, evidence. If you can find a 500 million year old fossil of a vertebrate, that would do nicely.
2007-09-07 21:02:07 · answer #3 · answered by Nimrod 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
First of all, I need to reveal my stance as being an atheist. You need to know my bias. But, I will actually offer you some help to disprove evolution. And this answer is meant to be honest and serious.
"Prove" or "disprove" are not scientists' favorite words. We prefer "substantiate" and "question."
You need to realize that the scientific method, cherished by many including the evolutionists, is far from being perfect. It is VERY GOOD for studying the present. It is moderately good for predicting the future. It is not very good for uncovering the past. And evolution is not only a study of the past, but a study of "all the past," a history of nearly 3 billion years.
You can question the validity of evolution (much better wording than "disprove") by challenging your teacher to provide the exact mechanism by which evolution occurs in a specific period of time, say 1 million years, for a specific species. He/she will not have an answer, but nobody has an answer to that question. But hey, that wins you a point. Second, ask him to explain the case of evolution in our current society, where the weak don't really die and the strong don't really get to reproduce a lot. Isn't that counterintuitive according to Darwin's original theory? Third, if you happen to be a Christian, use your sources too, mainly the Scriptures. If that's what you believe, you have the very right to defend your position with it.
Avoid asking questions like "How do we descend from monkeys while there are still monkeys around" or "scientists haven't found any evidence for evolution." Those question will just reveal how little you actually know about evolution.
Good luck!
2007-09-06 16:15:40 · answer #4 · answered by Good Kid 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
You can't disprove evolution, since it's the best explanation for the biodiversity observed on semi-isolated archipelagoes and islands.
You can speak of "the Cambrian Explosion" which looks more like an "Intelligent Design event" than a "punctuated equilibria evolution event."
You can discuss the paucity of "intermediates" in the fossil record.
You can bring I AM THAT I AM to class, and have Him explain that Biblical Creationism is true, and that Lucifer and the fallen angels messed with the Earth's appearance to mess with the heads of the Chosen People.
2007-09-07 07:35:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Scientists do not " prove " things, but are convinced by the evidence. You are right; you need a lot of help. It is not enough to poke a hole in evolutionary theory, you must come up with your own explanation of the facts and evidence, which is what a theory is.
Do not get into debates you can not win, unless you are on a debate team. Those guys just like to argue points.
Go here and learn the truth.
http://www.talkorigins.org
http://www.aboutdarwin.com
2007-09-06 15:48:01 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
A good debater can take a subject as complicated as biological evolution and twist things around so they can "win" the debate, if their opponent is not prepared and if they are playing in a stacked audience (ex: religious groups usually promote 'debates' and have their members turn out, who are already pre-disposed to vote for the creationist)
Really, the only way to 'win' this debate is to hope your teacher is ignorant or to lie, lie, lie and hope they do not make you look bad. That is what the professional creationist do, as their audience will believe what they are told.
2007-09-06 18:31:05 · answer #7 · answered by RjKardo 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
homologies, fossils, etc...how can you believe it's not true?
"Evolution is a change in allele frequency
in a population over time. "
if this isn't true, we wouldn't look the way we do..
wow, thousands of years where soo much evidence has been gathered to support evolution and you want to disprove it? evolution is a well established, reliable PATTERn..it's a fact! just like gravity is a FACT.
i'm sorry, but i must say, you are in deep doodoo....i'd love to hear some of the things you have to say so far though.
2007-09-06 16:44:10 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
dude, ur fukt. evolutions is a FACT. it's pretty hard to disprove a fact.
2007-09-06 15:43:57 · answer #9 · answered by mulligan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your doomed unless your teacher is really, really bad.
Master all the faults here, and you have an outside chance:
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/
2007-09-06 15:49:05 · answer #10 · answered by novangelis 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋