-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
It's true: Xerox makes one area on all their heavy-production machines designed to slam down if a harnd is placed inside of it. I have a lovely "C" shaped scar on the top of my hand from the "area 4 deathtrap".
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Mucus: Science is a gradual process. Thats why they still call evolution a "theory."
Actually, no. It's as much a "theory" as the theory of gravity. Unfortunatly, I've lost the handy "top ten questions about evolution" link I used to have, so I cannot explain it more. But it's a theory for complex, technical reasons, and not simply because "we haven't proved it yet".
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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Cartman
just made by the Presbyterian Church
Member # 256
posted
Theories are the highest form of scientific acceptance, actually. They are in no way synonymous with "guesses" or "conjectures". A theory is something which 1) has never been disproved since it was postulated, 2) has consistently remained a valid explanation for the topic it concerns, and 3) stays accepted until a better one comes along.
Now, biological evolution is a change in the genetic characteristics of a population over time. That this happens is a fact. Biological evolution also refers to the common descent of living organisms from shared ancestors. The evidence for historical evolution (genetic, fossil, anatomical, etc) is so overwhelming that it is also considered a fact. The theory of evolution describes the mechanisms that cause evolution. So evolution is both a fact AND a theory.
posted
Theory side is the debate as to weither Darwinian Gradualism is correct, (meanng that evolutionary pressure is always "on" and working at least on some level to adapt a species) or if evolution occurs in spurts as external stimuli changes faster than the traditional theory allows for (Ice Ages kill 99% of mammals but 1% adapts rapidly and changes into nifty stuff like Smiladon and Mammoths within a few hundred years instead of millenia)but is inert untill needed and then lastly, there's the blending of the two that infers that evolution is always occurng in all things on some level but can be ramped up as external pressures require.
Personally I'm leaning toward option #3 with a few reservations as to the degree of changes. For example evolution as maxed-out several creatures to be perfect for their roles (blue sharks for example) and the only change needed in the species has been a gradual decreasing in their size as their prey has changes and (largly because of us jerks) dwindled.
Make sense? ...and what exactly does all this have to do with the damn Xerox machine trying to eat my hand every week?
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
PsyLiam: *Shrug* Semantics. For the purposes of this discussion, I do not really care if evolution is a fact or not. There's no real need to get into that debate as well. However, as Cartmaniac said A theory is something which 1) has never been disproved since it was postulated, 2) has consistently remained a valid explanation for the topic it concerns, and 3) stays accepted until a better one comes along. That last part is an important part of what I said. Thats the gradual process of change.
I for one think that evolution IS the best possible explanation that humans have found for the origin of life on this planet. But I am also resigned to the fact that it may be wrong, or not the whole truth. Those statements are not mutually exclusive.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Uh, no, it is not called a theory because it has a "side" that remains unexplained or in doubt. Read Cartmaniac's post again.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
I think I get what you're saying, and I think there's been a miscommunication here. My choice of words in the original quotation was unfortunate. As I said, its semantics. i.e. doubt or uncertainty does not imply theory but theory does imply doubt or uncertainty
Its all too subtle for the actual point anyways.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
I was replying to Jason, actually, sorry that wasn't made clear. And even then, it's a minor issue, but important in context, I think.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
If there's anything that scientists and doctors will not do, it's confirm anything one way or another. Everybody's soooo afraid of making a stand on a issue and being wrong.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
Simon's right about it being important in context. Creationists often use the "it's only a theory" argument when evolution is bought up, not realising the proper conotations of the word. The best counterargument would be "So is gravity, so why don't you fly away? Eh? Eh? EH?" Actually, that would be a rubbish counterargument, but if it was said in an agrivating tone of voice...
So, theory shouldn't imply doubt. Theory implies people saying "This is the most likely explanation", which is different. It's not that scientists aren't "willing to make a stand". Science doesn't work that way anymore, and hasn't for years. Nothing is ever proved right. Things are failed to be proven wrong, and evolution has failed to be proven wrong for a fair long while now.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
My theory is that Creationists are morons and that has not been proven worng for a long long time now either.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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