Re: [Phys-l] About the "why" and "how questins."

[William Robertson <wrobert9@ix.netcom.com>]

If you read what I wrote, then you would know that I acknowledge that  
the process of natural selection has been demonstrated in the lab. And  
yes, evolution on a small scale is a fact. I'm talking about global  
evolution of species over the history of the Earth. Not a fact. A  
reasonable inference from the data, and hence a good theory, but not a  
fact. Scientists should not be afraid to use proper language in  
explaining their findings. If you understand science, then you would  
properly explain the laboratory findings as solid evidence for the  
mechanism of natural selection. You would not use that evidence to  
state that the global theory of evolution is a fact. One cannot prove  
a theory, so theories should not be labeled as facts.

We have enough arrogance and condescension in this forum, so why add  
to it?

Bill


William C. Robertson, Ph.D.
Bill Robertson Science, Inc.
Stop Faking It! Finally Understanding Science So You Can Teach It.
wrobert9@ix.netcom.com
1340 Telemark Drive
Woodland Park, CO 80863
719-686-1609

On Dec 21, 2010, at 6:50 PM, brian whatcott wrote:

> On 12/21/2010 6:51 PM, William Robertson wrote:
> > This is why reading and comprehension skills are so very important. I
> > never said that evolution was controversial. I just said that it is a
> > theory (a good one) rather than a fact.
> >
> > Bill
> >
> >
> > On Dec 21, 2010, at 5:17 PM, William Robertson wrote:
> >
> > > > evolution,
> > > > which is about as controversial as the fact that matter has mass.
> Can't help with the reading or comprehension skills, I'm afraid.
>
> But if you'd care to run an experiment on evolving an organism over
>  say 10,000 lifetimes (is that time scale good enough?)
>  I could share details of the agar, petri dish,  agricultural
> antibiotic for the challenge,
> and incubator materials which are not expensive.
>
> I suppose it's possible to FAIL to demonstrate/confirm  evolution in
> this way,
>  but you would need to be really, really determined.
>
> Brian W
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