Quote:
Originally Posted by tater
Also, while Dawin's theory (natural selection) is a mechanism up for debate (there are a few minor variants out there), the FACT of evolution is different. Evolution is the OBSERVED change in species over time. It is fact (unless you have dinosaurs, etc running around in your yard).
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I disagree, but only mildly, and admit that my background in science is sketchy, to put it mildly. What I believe is that the concept of THEORY admits to the possibility that said theory may be flawed, or even wrong. I've seen people reply to the challenge "Evolution is only a theory" with "So is gravity." Gravity, like electricity, is an observed phenomenon, and is so well understood that we can use it. That said, its actual nature -
why it is the way it is - is still the subject of much debate, hence the Theory part.
So evolution is an observed phenomenon, but one with missing parts. Lest someone think I'm even remotely dismissing it, I say that while it is "only" theory, it is the best one going.
But all that is my roundabout way of getting to this: There may be scientists in the field who change the shape of that theory tomorrow, and scientests who subscribe to it will say something along the lines of "Well, back to square one."
But the problem is that people who challenge evolution don't do so because they have another theory. They do so because they have a preconcieved idea that becomes unworkable should evolution be accepted. If new evidence turns up tomorrow in support of evolution, their response won't be to say "Well, maybe we'd better rethink this." Their response will be to challenge the new evidence any way they can, because the idea that it might be true would destroy their most cherished beliefs.
Their problem is that they think everybody on the "opposite" side thinks exactly the same way, and most scientists don't think that way at all.