Somehow, the scientific community has failed to communicate the difference between Darwin's concept of 'origin of species' (which means how one-celled life forms self-propagated into all the different species we have on the planet today) and how/why life itself came to be, which evolution doesn't try to answer.
How can scientists communicate this to the religions, especially the fundamentalists? It's important, as religion still rules the world through the leaders of both the East and the West, and the LAST thing we need is another Dark Ages.
Any good opinions out there?
2007-09-24 12:41:39 · 4 answers · asked by nora22000 7 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Those religious types have closed minds and no amount of effort by the scientific community will get through to them. On the plus side, only 2 of the republican candidates for president raised their hand when asked who didn't believe in evolution. I was encouraged by that, not that I'd vote for a republican no matter how much they paid me.
2007-09-24 15:11:23 · answer #1 · answered by Michael da Man 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
It's very easy to get the two concepts confused. It is generally accpeted that the origin of life resulted from chemical changes within the Earth's atmosphere caused by a number of factors including lightning, development of the atmostphere, and changes in heat distribution over the surface of the Earth.
Evolution is mutually exclusive from the origin of life, because evolution is based on the simple concept that life is already there, and has the ability to adapt to environmental changes. Primitive forms of amino acids that started the development of cells and microrganisms did not have the ability to evolve, so the whole argument doesn't make any sense (to assume they are both the same).
Now, if only we explain it in laymen's terms and try to get it through their thick heads. Hmm....
2007-09-24 20:20:10 · answer #2 · answered by Uliju 4 · 6⤊ 1⤋
It is not from lack of trying, but many scientists ( this one included ) are not great at communicating with those outside their profession. Your point has been raised before, perhaps you should visit Richard Dawkin,s web site.
2007-09-24 20:26:14 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
easy. in our great country (america) our education system has been hijacked by religious extremists. although most schools 'teach' evolution, they basically gloss over it and don't go into enough detail for the students to understand. the reason they gloss over it, is because they don't want the parents to get upset.
when i was in school way back when, during the times when there wasn't even so much hooplah about it, the teacher refused to talk about it.
2007-09-24 20:56:30 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋