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Re: [Phys-l] Global Evolution as fact



Why is there a need to push for global evolution as fact? By claiming it
is, scientists open themselves up to the errors of history (as Bill
mentioned below), but I think we do ourselves a more grave injustice. If we
try to claim something as fact that is not, we weaken the label of "theory"
by making it appear second best to the label of "fact." In a world where
very few people actually understand what a "theory" is to begin with, we'd
do better by explaining and defending the theory as it stands and, while
we're at it, defending and explaining the idea of "theory" in general. At
least that's my stance.

Mike

On Sat, Jan 8, 2011 at 10:09 PM, William Robertson
<wrobert9@ix.netcom.com>wrote:

I thought I was done with this, and other more experienced members of
the list have requested that we move on from the issue. I respect
that. But I can't help pointing out that the post by Larry makes my
point completely. When we present theory as fact, we are overstepping
our bounds. Many "facts" have been overturned in history, Larry.
Stating that theories are facts only indicates arrogance or a lack of
understanding regarding the history of science. Science proceeds with
humble theories that are subject to further exploration. However
overwhelming the evidence, when anyone lays the label of "fact" on a
theory, they do not, I believe, understand the endeavor of science.

Global evolution, based on diversity and natural selection, is a
remarkable achievement of science. I buy it. It makes sense. But to
state that it is fact? ...............

Bill



On Jan 8, 2011, at 6:35 PM, Woolf, Lawrence wrote:

* From: William Robertson
* Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 19:45:49 -0700
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.
=============================================

Having just read The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for
Evolution by Richard Dawkins (in addition to many of his other books
and essentially all of Stephen Jay Gould's books), I feel compelled
to address the issue of global evolution of species. The book
contains 396 pages devoted almost exclusively to the overwhelming
and diverse evidence for the fact of the global evolution of species
by the mechanism of natural selection (and sexual selection).

Fossil evidence is only part of the story. The most overwhelming
evidence is that of RNA and DNA sequences. The Tree of Life, built
up from RNA sequences, shows the relationship of representative
species

<http://www.zo.utexas.edu/faculty/antisense/DownloadfilesToL.html>

and how species diverged from common ancestors to produce all the
species on Earth.



Other evidence comes from many fields including embryology, the
geographical distribution of species, commonality of body parts,
vestigial and non-optimized arrangement of body parts, and the
commonality of the genetic code used by all animals, plants, fungi,
bacteria, archaea, and viruses.



When the data that exist consist of countless pieces of information
from diverse fields, all of which are only consistent with the
global evolution of species, with not one counterexample, then
global evolution of species is not just a reasonable inference, it
is indeed a fact. In addition, the evidence for natural and sexual
selection as the mechanisms for speciation is also overwhelming.



Larry Woolf



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_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l