Why do some people think that evolution is a fact...?

Question

even though it is just a theory? Just like the theory of Creationism in the Bible, and the theory of the Big Bang? And why, oh why, are so many people so ignorant of other theories and believe that they, themselves hold the answer to everything?

future post human... whatever: I am majoring in engineering, my brother is a physics major. Science is what i understand, and yes i know gravity is a theory. But evolution needs time to prove, not just fossils, especially since carbon dating isn't as reliable as it was once thought to be. Please, never use "the onion" or wikipedia as a valid source. Those are some of the worst sources ever

Answer 1

Answering this question over and over is tiring.

Especially when it looks like a troll question.

Just look it up in older Q & As and you'll find the answer.

Answer 2

I'm not a scientist and I'm not from the religious right. I do remember a test scientists did with some kind of moth I think it was a moth. They brought a bunch of pale winged moths into a city with high pollution.

It wasn't long before the descendants of these moths had changed to dark winged moths I guess so they didn't stand
out against the dark buildings.

My mom and dad do belong to the religious right and believe the Bible literally. So they are kind of stuck trying to rationalize a lot of pretty awful things from the Bible.

What I like about science is that when new theories are thought up, they have to be proved in some way until they are really accepted by the scientific community.

I remember something that Einstein had thought he discovered was true (a theory) about curved space.

And then I think after the war some guy somewhere was in the right place at an eclipse to actually prove it.

I like that whereas people who take the Bible literally are stuck in beliefs about the physical world that make no sense.
I can read and study science, knowing that in 50 years something else might be found by another scientist or layperson, which might change the way we look at the Universe, and lo, our textbooks will be rewritten.

And yeah, I do believe in gravity, tho I haven't the slightest idea why or how it works.

Answer 3

I think you really, really need to learn what a theory is. Gravity is "just a theory" too, ya know? Personally, I tend to think of it as a little more than just someone else's personal belief.

A theory is something that makes accurate predictions about the state of the world. Evolution and the big bang do this, creationism does not.

A theory is testable and verifiable. Evolution and the big bang are and have been, and a big double-negative on creationism.

A theory is supported by logic, reason, and evidence. Evolution and the big bang are, creationism has absolutely nada supporting it.

A theory is not true or false based simply on the personal beliefs (including religion) of individuals. Creation mythologies, on the other hand, depend on which religion you believe in.

Getting the picture? No, I don't imagine you are, because by the very wording of your question it appears you have been hopelessly suckered in by the misinformation and, yes, deliberate lies of those seeking to spread their creationist mythologies.

Bottom line is, science is *N O T* a belief system like religion. It is a methodology, a tool for discovering _and_verifying_ knowledge. So please stop treating scientific theories as a threat or competitor to your interpretation of the bible, because it is not.

Oh, and as for your statement, "why, oh why, are so many people so ignorant of other theories and believe that they, themselves hold the answer to everything," that's precisely what many scientifically-literate people think of scientifically-illiterate religious types. The pot may wish to check its own color in a mirror before making accusations of the kettle.

Answer 4

Scientists prove their hypotheses/theories by performing experiments. When other scientists around the world can replicate the experiment and achieve the same results, then that hypothesis becomes a fact.

The idea of Evolution has been proven repeatedly over the last 150 years. When Darwin proposed it, all the scientists were Christians who believed in God. Those scientists changed their views when they saw unsurmountable evidence for the existence of Evolution.

There is piles of unmistakable evidence to support Evolution but not a single shred of evidence to support Creationism except the Bible. I'm not saying it's not true, I'm saying there's no way for anyone to prove it.

Answer 5

Critics point out, as if theory meant lack of knowledge, some kind of guess. Scientists, however, use the word theory in a very different sense than the general public does. Theories are the solid ground of science, that of which we are most certain. Few of us doubt the theory of gravity because it is "just a theory."

Answer 6

I think its because they believe science in its self is factual and since this theory was derived using science they believe it is to be also true

And it really is a shame that these people dont look into other theories and such b/c they are quite interesting. but allot of people are closed minded and thats the reason why they are so ignorant.

and the reason why they believe they are right is b/c they are iggnorant, If they were to know all the theories and give a credible debate as to why they believe in one particular one then it would be alrright buttt they dont.

so that is my answer.

Answer 7

Because we are told it over and over again. The experts say that this is a fact and people always believe the experts. We seem to go along with anything these days if we hear it enough times. In 10 years something will replace it like everything else.

Answer 8

These theories are taught as fact in all levels of education and in the mainstream media. Not many people will think for themselves and question and research in order to resolve the issue in their own minds.

It is very unpopular not to believe in evolution and in today's political climate that also goes for global warming. I am old enough to remember that "scientists" were concerned about another ice age that was going to annihilate life as we know it.

The world is full of opponents of the Bible. These people will oppose anything they think has some link to the Bible. They are entitled to their opinion but if anyone differs from them they are attacked and ridiculed.

Answer 9

Perhaps they believe in evolution because the DNA is so close between species, and because changes have been seen that suggest it is true. For example, Man is generally referred to as Homo sapiens. But H. sapiens no longer exists. Man today is H. sapiens sapiens, a SUB-species of H. sapiens. Does that alone not suggest that we evolved from the main species?

Answer 10

First of all define things correctly: Evolution means change. All of us believe in change. What you are meaning is why to people believe in Macro evolution? That is the believe that one species changes into another.
Its all about faith... there is no evidence to show it.

Answer 11

Yeah, nothing in science can be proven, but it's the best we got right now, so it's good.