The Cancer eating at America

[rkma]

Darwin expressed dismay throughout his entire life about the frustrating lack of transitional forms.

But hey! How about that Cancer eating at America!

Back that claim up with some actual evidence, please. I'm not gonna accept it just because you say so.

[Bramickias]

For a person who drones on about facts, that statement is utter hyperbole.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is around twice the size of Texas. Australia is the world's smallest coninent.

The size of Australia = 7,617,930 Km2
The size of Texas x 2 = 1,392,482 Km2

The smallest continent in the world is 5.4 times larger than the garbage patch.

Just give it another 100 years, we will achievement that garbage continent, i guarantee it.

[Wubbzy]

I think true ignorance is assuming that someone who believes in creationism is against all things science. I also think blindly following anything scientist tell us is fact is ignorance as well, considering science is an ever changing concept. One thing will be fact today and a fallacy tomorrow.

Like it or not, science is a sort of religion, its based largely off faith in the hypothesis's of others. While there are many aspect of science that are indeed fact, and cannot really be argued there are also many aspect of science that are nothing more than someones "best guess". This can be directly compared to religion. Take Christianity for example, where most creationists come from. There are many aspect of the Bible that one must believe in based on faith alone. While there are parts of the bible that simply cannot be refuted.

The same goes for science.

I understand this will probably anger a lot of the atheist's in this thread but the correlations are strikingly similar.

[Vayshan]

String theory is completely unproven.

It supports the creation of the universe in every manner. Explains time, space and matter. Unproven or not, it sounds way more plousible then anything else.

[ThePalidius]

is it me or does most everybody in this thread suffer with the "God complex"?

thats the real cancer eating at america.... people believe they cant be wrong... smh

the reality is until the theory becomes fact, people need to consider they may be wrong.

Theory as defined
: abstract thought : speculation

: the general or abstract principles of a body of fact, a science, or an art <music theory>

: a belief, policy, or procedure proposed or followed as the basis of action <her method is based on the theory that all children want to learn> b : an ideal or hypothetical set of facts, principles, or circumstances —often used in the phrase in theory <in theory, we have always advocated freedom for all>

: a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena <the wave theory of light>

: a hypothesis assumed for the sake of argument or investigation b : an unproved assumption : conjecture c : a body of theorems presenting a concise systematic view of a subject <theory of equations>

Fact as defined
1. Knowledge or information based on real occurrences
or
2. A thing that has been done
or better
3. A thing that is indisputably the case.

in essence, this is fact: there is evidence supporting evolution, just not evidence that every life form can be linked to evolution back to the beginning of the planet and pinpointed scientifically. this may change, this may not change, but the fact remains that you believers in evolution may be wrong. same goes for creationists.
the reality is this thread is not productive in any manner. become a scientist and prove one or the other if you feel so strongly. because as long as it is not indesputable, you are believing in something faith based. dont waste time attempting to convert people to the belief system you have faith in. is this not what the science community hates about the religious community? hmmm....

[ptwonline]

I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, unfortunately. Darwin originated the theory of evolution. Is that who you mean? He actually said in Chapter 6 of his book Origin of Species, "First, why, if species have descended from other species by fine gradations, do we not everywhere see innumerable transitional forms? Why is not all nature in confusion, instead of the species being, as we see them, well defined?"

Darwin was NOT the first to think that species evolve. He was the first to suggest a real MECHANISM for it, and that's what made him famous. Many others before him believed that organisms could be evolving over time. One example is Robert Chambers who suggested that animals change over time because he looked at the fossil record. He published (anonymously) the now famous "Vestiges", which came before "Origin of Species" and was influential on Darwin and helped others to accept Darwin's theory more readily.

Here's what one Wikipedia entry says about "Vestiges":
"It claimed that the fossil record showed a progressive ascent of animals with current animals being branches off a main line that leads progressively to humanity. It implied that the transmutations lead to the unfolding of a preordained plan that had been woven into the laws that governed the universe. In this sense it was less completely materialistic than the ideas of radicals like Robert Grant, but its implication that humans were only the last step in the ascent of animal life incensed many conservative thinkers. The high profile of the public debate over Vestiges, with its depiction of evolution as a progressive process, would greatly influence the perception of Darwin's theory a decade later."

[Deleted]

Oh I'm not denying that it's there; it's just not big enough in the grand scheme of things to dismiss evolution because of it.

As I understand it, Christians are more divided on the subject of Evolution than Americans on politics. Each different flavor has their own qualms with evolution, from the Hugh Ross camp believing in most of old earth, slow evolution, but God over abiogenesis, to the young earth Christians that believe the world is only 10K years old or so.

The main arguement Christains pay evolution is the lack of increase in genetic information (mutation only copying existing info - this critique has its own flaws though). I do not believe most disagree with microevolution at all. I could be wrong though.

[rkma]

science is built on faith. care to disprove me?

Non-sequitur, but also false. Science is based on axiomatic assumptions; e.g. observations are influenced by an external reality, objective measurements are obtainable, etc. It's true that you might view these assumptions as "faith," but there is one primary objection I have to that:

Virtually everyone makes these same assumptions in day-to-day life, but they do not consider it "faith." It is not "faith" that my socks are white and my pants are gray, I simply look at them an observe them. However, it's possible my observations are wrong, isn't it? Does this mean even the most basic observations are based on "faith"?

In other words, to call science "faith" you must call everything faith, which most people do not do. If they did, it would render the word mostly meaningless, and would not be a valid criticism of science since it would apply to everything equally.

[Dacien]

Care to back that up with actualy facts...

I'd love to find the quotes, but I have time to post, but not to do any serious digging to find the information. Cheeseball answer, I know. Ya got me!

Edit: supposed to be working >.>

[Blastit]

Non-sequitur, but also false. Science is based on axiomatic assumptions; e.g. observations are influenced by an external reality, objective measurements are obtainable, etc. It's true that you might view these assumptions as "faith," but there is one primary objection I have to that:

Virtually everyone makes these same assumptions in day-to-day life, but they do not consider it "faith." It is not "faith" that my socks are white and my pants are gray, I simply look at them an observe them. However, it's possible my observations are wrong, isn't it? To call science "faith" you must call everything faith, which most people do not do.

you have faith that going into space won't rip out ovaries and turn your body out in excruciating pain? I have faith that something might be after death. I have faith that swimming to the bottom of the ocean won't kill me

[Apostyl]

The Flying Spaghetti Monster trumps all.

[ptwonline]

I think true ignorance is assuming that someone who believes in creationism is against all things science.

Well, Creationism is pretty much completely anti-scientific so it's pretty easy to understand why such a perception would exist about it's proponents.

Of course that's probably not entirely fair. Many people do accept a lot of science, but when it comes down to something like creation suddenly they go scurrying back to a religious document because it is what they were taught was true.

[Vayshan]

I have faith that swimming to the bottom of the ocean won't kill me

So you don't believe the abundance proof there is of increasing pressure the deeper you go? Good luck diving then.

[smartAXE]

No idea is 100% bullet proof, that doesn't mean some aren't better than others.

gravity is a law, not a theory.

[Tic Tacs]

I eat fast food almost on daily basis and have no problems at all. Some people need to chill about all these health issues. People die, deal with it.

[Blastit]

So you don't believe the abundance proof there is of increasing pressure the deeper you go? Good luck diving then.

Fact. WE learned that because 2 guys tried to set a world record to go down as far as possible like 1/200000 of the way down shit hit the fan they had to go back up. now we know!

[Shadowmelded]

I eat fast food almost on daily basis and have no problems at all. Some people need to chill about all these health issues. People die, deal with it.

.......

I'm guessing you didn't actually read any of the posts being made.

[Grimbold21]

science is built on faith. care to disprove me?

You're the one making the statement. You prove it.

[Deleted]

The Flying Spaghetti Monster trumps all.

I lol'd. That guy who wore his "religious" headgear of a spaghetti strainer for his drivers license was epic.

[Judge Malthred]

Not disagreeing that this is terrible, especially comments like evolution is 'just a theory', but the issue with global warming was dealt a significant blow when a large email scam or theft inadvertently revealed that numbers were being falsified to make it look like it was much more of a problem than what it actually was.

Not saying it doesn't exist.

Not saying it isn't a problem with the potential to become very disastrous.

But there was a good deal of embellishment involved according to the emails that got out into the public realm.