Re: Student perceptions re evolution

From: D. F. Siemens, Jr. (dfsiemensjr@juno.com)
Date: Mon Aug 25 2003 - 17:25:26 EDT

  • Next message: Jay Willingham: "Re: Student perceptions re evolution"

    On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 16:40:46 -0400 "Jay Willingham"
    <jaywillingham@cfl.rr.com> writes:
    [combining two posts]
    > Then evolution is not a fact but a competing explanation of facts.
    >

    >Would the observed process be better called "natural selection" and the
    >theory of the origin of life or the taxa by natural selection be better
    >called "evolution"?

    >Jay

    Jay,
    Why must you keep twisting language? 'Evolution' is, first, the changes
    that living things exhibit over time. The primary evidence has been the
    fossil record. There is now additional evidence in the comparison of
    genomes, for example. This is fact: life has changed. 'Evolution' is,
    second, a collection of views about why life has changed. Natural
    selection is a part of the explanation for the changes. It is
    supplemented by other views. Some of these composite views are not
    compatible with other composite views. In this second sense, evolution is
    a set of theories. Only in some of these collections is abiogenesis
    considered vital. Others consider changes given life.

    Also, as a simple matter of fact, no one can observe natural selection in
    the remote past.
    Dave



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Mon Aug 25 2003 - 17:30:36 EDT