Re: By true scientific standards, is evolution even a theory?

Let the facts show that on 11/23/05 9:07 PM, kdmlives@xxxxxxxxxxx at
kdmlives@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

>
> Richard Dawkins wrote:
>> <kdmlives@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>> news:1132724904.591703.230620@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> It's not an evasion. It's HOW you can TEST your Hypothesis.
>>>
>>> "Testing" a hypothesis does NOT necessarily require running an actual
>>> experiment. One can simply gather more data, and see if it fits, or
>>> not.
>>
>> Tired of being a blowhard?
>
> Ah, yes. Ad Hominum argument. Really supports your case.
>
>> Then lay it out for me. Describe to me all
>> of these imaginary creatures you *know* existed in the grand march from
>> a small land mammal to a whale.
>
> I don't think "land mammals" evolved into "whales". The fact you seem
> to think that indicates you really don't know much about evolution, or
> science. Or simple biology.

Yes, they did (see my previous post). Fossil record proves it, and a quick
Google search will lead anyone to pages that document the progression in the
fossil record from land to aquatic mammal.

> How do you explain fossils? Fossils that date to millions of years ago?
> Fossils that, as the time period gets more and more recent, look more
> and more like current animals?

This is where Richard falls down. His stance is "you don't have visual
evidence of everything, therefore the things you don't yet have evidence for
never happened" falls down if you use his own rules to define anything. We
don't have visual evidence of the man that shot JFK, so it never happened.

You're right, kdmlives ... because evolution says that one species can have
a random mutation in one of its number, which means some of its population
mate and carry this change with them. So we have small mammals with toes
that look like the mammals in the Cretaceous, and we have fossil records of
the earliest mammals that had reptile physiological characteristic further
in the past than that, and we have mammals that developed hooves on their
feet which branched off more recently in the fosil record.

>> And tell me how each successive
>> creature was better adapted than the last.
>
> Well, if "each sucessive creature" was WORSE suited than it's parents,
> then pretty soon, there would be born a creature completely unsuited to
> survive. It would die, and there would be no more life. SO, each
> sucessive generation must be AT LEAST as suited to survive as it's
> parents, or the line would die out. What's your point?
>

He doesn't have one, because he thinks evolution is some plan to create the
perfect being. He's angry at a theory and he doesn't even know how that
theory works.

Of course, he's completely free to try to psychoanalyze me. I welcome it,
because it shows he's willing to use another form of science again in the
debate.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Good wide books on evolution?
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    (talk.origins)
  • Re: On the true origin of species...
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    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Why the Duck-billed Platypus?
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  • Re: Seans away; lets play
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    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Why are blue cones rare in humans?
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