More on intelligent design/evolution
So I've been thinking about this a lot. ID is in the news, as the creationist Roundheads seek to keep our children stupid by teaching non-science in the science classroom and force teachers to "disclose" that many overly religious people don't believe in evolution, and that some scientists don't agree about all the details in evolution. Perhaps science teachers can just dedicate two weeks per year to "disclosing" all the many, many disagreements scientists have relating to how everything works, just so the kids will be unable to discern what's true and what's crazy-ass crazy. Oh, and we should always give equal billing to 95% of the scientific community and the 5% that are crackpot - just to teach the debate!
Anyhoo, now that I'm briefly done railing about that...it's entirely possible that I'm too dense myself to get all the nuance here, but there is an aspect of this debate that seems so obvious, but I never hear anyone mention it. It's the 'incomplete' nature of evolution.
Roundheads point to things like the appendix and cry "aha!". If evolution rids us of that which is unnecessary and passes on those traits which make us more likely to survive, why would we have something like an appendix, or tonsils?
Of course, one response is if God made us in his image, and God is perfect, why would we have something like an appendix or tonsils? There is an argument that life is so messy and we have useless things that require evolution as the only explanation. Both are fun, but what about the obvious?
WE'RE NOT DONE. We are not the finished product. There is no "aha!" moment here - we have an appendix because we're in between the humans that needed it and the humans that don't have it. Why, even among scientists, is it assumed that we're the final species in the homo genus? Evolution didn't stop when we appeared, it just keeps right on going. You see it in insects all the time. Hell, it's rarely pointed out, but our species is getting taller. But what makes us think that we're not 15,000 years from seeing a new branch of human, homo sapiens excellente or some such? I think the only thing that might stunt our evolution is our brain - we've gotten smart enough to effect medical solutions to many of the traits that would normally assist in natural selection; so weak, stupid or unattractive people can continue to reproduce, and it's really very difficult to die now. We've become unnatural ourselves, and I think this may slow down the necessity of our evolution, although it could force other changes since we have few needed adaptations.
Why is this such a verboten idea? Why is it not an obvious argument - we have an appendix because we're not done. It's wonderful proof, in itself, of evolution in progress.
Finally, why on earth do the Roundheads keep insisting that evolution's main goal is to deny the existence of a God? It seems to be completely neutral on the topic. Evolution doesn't even attempt to explain the origin of life, just how we got from point A to point whatever-today-is. It's just such a bizarre argument, made all the more bizarre by the fact that they are winning the debate despite overwhelming evidence and logic showing them to be incorrect and misled.
*sigh*. Remember: Creationists = Roundhead. Look 'em up, it's quite fitting.
Anyhoo, now that I'm briefly done railing about that...it's entirely possible that I'm too dense myself to get all the nuance here, but there is an aspect of this debate that seems so obvious, but I never hear anyone mention it. It's the 'incomplete' nature of evolution.
Roundheads point to things like the appendix and cry "aha!". If evolution rids us of that which is unnecessary and passes on those traits which make us more likely to survive, why would we have something like an appendix, or tonsils?
Of course, one response is if God made us in his image, and God is perfect, why would we have something like an appendix or tonsils? There is an argument that life is so messy and we have useless things that require evolution as the only explanation. Both are fun, but what about the obvious?
WE'RE NOT DONE. We are not the finished product. There is no "aha!" moment here - we have an appendix because we're in between the humans that needed it and the humans that don't have it. Why, even among scientists, is it assumed that we're the final species in the homo genus? Evolution didn't stop when we appeared, it just keeps right on going. You see it in insects all the time. Hell, it's rarely pointed out, but our species is getting taller. But what makes us think that we're not 15,000 years from seeing a new branch of human, homo sapiens excellente or some such? I think the only thing that might stunt our evolution is our brain - we've gotten smart enough to effect medical solutions to many of the traits that would normally assist in natural selection; so weak, stupid or unattractive people can continue to reproduce, and it's really very difficult to die now. We've become unnatural ourselves, and I think this may slow down the necessity of our evolution, although it could force other changes since we have few needed adaptations.
Why is this such a verboten idea? Why is it not an obvious argument - we have an appendix because we're not done. It's wonderful proof, in itself, of evolution in progress.
Finally, why on earth do the Roundheads keep insisting that evolution's main goal is to deny the existence of a God? It seems to be completely neutral on the topic. Evolution doesn't even attempt to explain the origin of life, just how we got from point A to point whatever-today-is. It's just such a bizarre argument, made all the more bizarre by the fact that they are winning the debate despite overwhelming evidence and logic showing them to be incorrect and misled.
*sigh*. Remember: Creationists = Roundhead. Look 'em up, it's quite fitting.
posted by switzerblog at
12:51 PM
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