The wisdwom of apes (not to write books)

Skybird · 05-30-06, 11:08 AM

Top scientist gives up on creationists

James Randerson, science correspondent
Tuesday May 30, 2006
The Guardian

A leading British scientist said yesterday that he had given up trying to persuade creationists that Darwin's theory is correct after repeatedly being misrepresented and, he said, branded a liar.
Speaking at the Guardian Hay festival at Hay-on-Wye, the evolutionary biologist Steve Jones spoke of his frustrations when trying to debate with religious opponents.
"I don't engage with creationists directly," he said, saying that, when he had, they had frequently quoted him out of context or accused him of lying. "If somebody has decided to believe something - whatever the evidence - then there is nothing you can do about it."
The University College London professor spoke to the provocative title, Why Creationism is Wrong and Evolution is Right. He pointed out that acceptance of Darwin's theory on a global scale was a "minority belief". According to polls, 100 million Americans believe in creationism.
His talk laid out some of the evidence for evolution, such as that of changes in the HIV virus after infecting people. He also hinted at a puzzle thrown up by the human genome project. Far from the hundreds of thousands of genes many geneticists expected, there seem to be around 30,000.
Another revelation was the notion that the chimpanzee genome project has shown that women are closer to chimps then men.

Prof Jones explained that is because the X chromosome has changed less than the Y chromosome since we split from a common ancestor with chimps. Women have two X chromosomes compared with XY in men.
The most important difference between evolutionists and creationists, Prof Jones concluded, is that scientists are always prepared to say, "I don't know".
"If there weren't any unknown parts of evolution, bits we don't understand, it wouldn't be a science," he said, "That's one thing that believers never say, because it's all written down in a big book." In 1997, Prof Jones was awarded the Royal Society's Michael Faraday prize, the UK's foremost award for communicating science to the public.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/st...785654,00.html

Dear Sir, I feel with you. My deepest sympathy!

CB.. · 05-30-06, 11:18 AM

maddening isn't it...
what with fundamentalist muslim doctrines encroaching on western values and the west self sabotaging it-self with fundamentalist pseudo christain religious beliefs

makes you wonder wether the only hope we actually realistically have is that china will invade and instigate a communist state--

either way things look like we'd be better waiting for that infinite number of monkeys to write Shakespear

because there's simply no way on earth that fundamentalist christains and fundamentalist muslims can ever live side by side one is honour bound to try to destroy the other

mean while the rest of us poor suckers have to sit by get screwed either way--

kiwi_2005 · 05-30-06, 03:36 PM

the chimpanzee genome project has shown that women are closer to chimps then men

Can't argue with that

STEED · 05-30-06, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiwi_2005

the chimpanzee genome project has shown that women are closer to chimps then men

Can't argue with that

Are that explains everything or dose it? :hmm:

05-30-06, 11:08 AM	#1
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,615 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	The wisdwom of apes (not to write books) Top scientist gives up on creationists James Randerson, science correspondent Tuesday May 30, 2006 The Guardian A leading British scientist said yesterday that he had given up trying to persuade creationists that Darwin's theory is correct after repeatedly being misrepresented and, he said, branded a liar. Speaking at the Guardian Hay festival at Hay-on-Wye, the evolutionary biologist Steve Jones spoke of his frustrations when trying to debate with religious opponents. "I don't engage with creationists directly," he said, saying that, when he had, they had frequently quoted him out of context or accused him of lying. "If somebody has decided to believe something - whatever the evidence - then there is nothing you can do about it." The University College London professor spoke to the provocative title, Why Creationism is Wrong and Evolution is Right. He pointed out that acceptance of Darwin's theory on a global scale was a "minority belief". According to polls, 100 million Americans believe in creationism. His talk laid out some of the evidence for evolution, such as that of changes in the HIV virus after infecting people. He also hinted at a puzzle thrown up by the human genome project. Far from the hundreds of thousands of genes many geneticists expected, there seem to be around 30,000. Another revelation was the notion that the chimpanzee genome project has shown that women are closer to chimps then men. Prof Jones explained that is because the X chromosome has changed less than the Y chromosome since we split from a common ancestor with chimps. Women have two X chromosomes compared with XY in men. The most important difference between evolutionists and creationists, Prof Jones concluded, is *that scientists are always prepared to say, "I don't know".* "If there weren't any unknown parts of evolution, bits we don't understand, it wouldn't be a science," he said, "That's one thing that believers never say, because it's all written down in a big book." In 1997, Prof Jones was awarded the Royal Society's Michael Faraday prize, the UK's foremost award for communicating science to the public. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/st...785654,00.html Dear Sir, I feel with you. My deepest sympathy! __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

05-30-06, 11:18 AM	#2
CB.. Ace of the Deep Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: UK Posts: 1,278 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	maddening isn't it... what with fundamentalist muslim doctrines encroaching on western values and the west self sabotaging it-self with fundamentalist pseudo christain religious beliefs makes you wonder wether the only hope we actually realistically have is that china will invade and instigate a communist state-- either way things look like we'd be better waiting for that infinite number of monkeys to write Shakespear because there's simply no way on earth that fundamentalist christains and fundamentalist muslims can ever live side by side one is honour bound to try to destroy the other mean while the rest of us poor suckers have to sit by get screwed either way-- __________________ the world's tinyiest sh3 supermod- and other SH3/SH2 stuff http://www.ebort2.co.uk/ The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. W.B.Yeats

05-30-06, 03:36 PM	#3
kiwi_2005 Eternal Patrol Join Date: May 2004 Location: Aeoteroa Posts: 7,382 Downloads: 223 Uploads: 1	the chimpanzee genome project has shown that women are closer to chimps then men Can't argue with that