Evolutionary Science And Its Implications

[Chinahand]

Link

 

This is a video site where scientists and philosophers discuss the issues relating to evolution.

 

If you like that sort of thing, guilty, its quite interesting! Plus you don't have to read it, it can be on in the back ground.

[Chinahand]

is one of the wierdist ways of bashing creationists I've ever seen - if creationists were in charge we wouldn't be able to invade Iraq or arm ourselves - or something like that.

 

Still shows alot of really frightnenning religious people making very stupid statements!

[beejay103]

Lovely stuff, I've listened to a few of the clips and will give the rest a listen later

 

I find the whole argument incredible

 

A very crude example :

It's like 2 children arguing who would win a fight out of Frank Bruno and Captain Planet

Edited April 10, 2007 by beejay103

[Chinahand]

Just saw this video on Sandwalk and thought it was worth passing it on!

 

Its one of the best explanation I've seen of how science is different from superstition.

[Mutley]

One thing that really annoys me is that we (sensible evolution type people) seem to have acquired Richard Dawkins as our poster boy. He's about as arrogant and condescending as you can get. It makes me want to believe in all the hokum and fairy tales just so I can be on the opposite side to him and justify my dislike of him.

[Lao]

that skewed views of science video was excellent!

 

Last year i met with some people on the Island who as a group were in the early stages of accepting the creationist viewpont. Im not sure why i was invited, perhaps to be converted (they didn't know me well) or to pressure test this new belief structure, whatever the case i was exposed to aggressive creationist theory for the first time.

 

We watched videos and then had discussion, and as i didn't have the precise knowledge needed to refute the claims made i simply listened to the 'evidence'.

 

The following week i was invited back but was much better prepared, with the aid of two friends (1 entymologist the other a mathematical physicist) i had done much research and could handle the thrust and parry of their arguments and standard counter arguments.

 

both my friends had drilled me not only on the specifics of creationism vs evolution but both also instilled upon me the importance of the basics of scientific method, evidence based theory, double blind test etc.

 

needless to say i was not invited back a third time, but i learnt a valuable lesson about the scientific method and when the time comes for me to pass it on to someone else i shall show them the above mentioned video. i dont think i could put it any better.

 

the last i heard the group is still having its meetings, but it now has a rival group, also creationist but different in some way or other.

[DjDan]

^ sounds like the 'Alpha Course'......... yak.

[Lao]

^ sounds like the 'Alpha Course'......... yak.

 

Nothing that organised, just a sub group of one of the churches on the Island who were interested in that sort of thing and bought some videos.

[Kurashima]

Creationism , Intelligent Design , they can all join my church.

 

Three Words : Flying Spaghetti Monster

[Slim]

^ sounds like the 'Alpha Course'......... yak.

 

Sorry for picking on you with questions Dan, but you're about the only godder who responds on here...

 

What do you make of the vaticans acceptance of Darwin?

[Chinahand]

Although I see him as one of the world's most influential scientists, I do think the concentration on his name isn't right and gives wiggle room.

 

People don't go on about acceptance of Newton.

 

The question should surely be - do you accept that the diversity of life can be explained by natural processes with a tree of life showing (other than the gene transfering ability of viruses, rhetro-viruses etc) the common descent of all life.

 

ie something like this:

 

[Chinahand]

 

... and this gives a perception of the relative time scales it all took.

[Slim]

... and this gives a perception of the relative time scales it all took.

 

Though something that doesn't help the case vs creationists. I think what's so often misunderstood is the timescales involved in the evolutionary changes.

 

Edit, couple of interesting evolution images I've seen lately, the first:

 

Relative to intelligence?

 

The second is the fossil Attenburgh showed on his Tree of Life show, and it's just such a fantastic and dramatic specimen:

 

 

An amazing thing. With items like this in the world, why do you have to make stuff up?

[Chinahand]

 

He's good! Hearing Stairway to Heaven backwards shows many things to be extremely worrying in the Satanic world of Rock and Roll!

 

Lots more science, debunking and rationalism to be found here - http://www.ted.com/

[Lao]

Did you watch the Hawking interview on TED yet Chinahand? i watched it today, it was inspiring, not to mention at time very funny. He injected humor into the subject at just the right points, spoke so a layman could understand and touch points of great interest.

 

after that the interviewer asked him a question which took him seven minutes to respond to. it is amazing and humbling that despite how difficult it must be for him, he still takes the time and expends the massive amount of energy that communication take out of him, so that other might benefit from his knowledge.