Why do people deny evolution?

@farmerman,

I never thought of us as a smartarse FM. I do think that there are some know-it-alls who think that an ability to regurgitate a certain amount of facts means they're really smart. That's why there's a need to seek out those they can ridicule.

I mentioned Fleming earlier because he exhibited a quality that such smart Alecs don't have, namely to benefit from a 'failure.'

On the subject of evolution, I've got a magazine article somewhere that did a critique of evolution, not by religious nutjobs, but by scientists, (not the sort Gunga quotes either.) I'll see if I can find it. One criticism was that it was just the inverse of the creationist myth. Man instead of being fallen from a higher state of being evolved from a lower one. The only other criticism I can remember concerned the effect of bacteria and other microorganisms on evolution. The main criticism being that it hadn't been given the same consideration as other areas.

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@izzythepush,

microscopic organisms have been on this planet for about 3.7 Billion years (based upon 2 places of evidence). They've had all that time to eveolve a separate pathway of structure and motility and reproduction and even feeding. They've got it mostly as far as they need to be so, like a coelacanth, many folks feel that weve been living alongside this entire universe of complex organisms that must be seen under a scope.

Critiquing evolution is always one of the most popular symposiums at the paleo conferences. Many times thered be heated argumenst about missing data and resultant defaulting to Creationist or at least Panspermist ideas.

Its all fun and when I taught , it forced many of my past students to adopt a more defined and small step approach to their research. Having ones "Big Ideas" challenged by people whove worked the field for many years can be humbling and thought provoking.

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@nameis,

Quote:

Ignorance at it's best.

The irony here is that you used "it's" instead of the proper "its".

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@izzythepush,

If you re-read my post you'll see that I referred to Biology AND evolution. I'm pretty sure Biology was studied before The Origin of Species.

You're really quite stupid, aren't you?
(You'll notice that unlike you, I did not forget the comma in the above sentence. L2English n00b)

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@spendius,

Quote:

Why do organisms diversify? How do they diversify?

I will answer this after you've answered the question I just asked you. I've noticed that between you and several others around here you all like to avoid questions. Why is that? Just answer the question I asked.

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@Calamity Dal,

Quote:

I am not saying the evolutionary theory is whackamole or indeed the creationist theory, but those that deploy it. I see validity and flaws in many different theories

You made the classic rookie mistake of lumping creation "theory" in with evolutionary theory.
The difference is evolution is scientifically supported and is a SCIENTIFIC theory, whereas creationism is pseudo-scientific junk.

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@Calamity Dal,

Quote:

I see validity and flaws in many different theories

If a belief system cannot be employed in applied problems, then its not a valid theory. Ive always asked how we can apply Creationist beliefs in science?
If a world is only 10000 years old and important radioisotopes have half lives of roughly 200 million years, how can we predict the useful half lives of certain isotopes In industry if were that far off?
How could we define the radioactive decay constants that define the nature of each radioactive element?

We have known these things for decades nd yet Creationists are still arguing validity of the age of the Earth. They argue that Evolution violates all kinds of LAws of physics yet they are totally denying most laws of physics to even accept their worldview.

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@JimmyJ,

give it a rest Jimmy and let the grown ups talk.

Your type are no different from the religious fundamentalists who fanaticise and dismiss anything but what's in the textbooks you're taught from. You're as ignorant and blind as they are. You dismiss anyone who believes different to you as less intelligent, they dismiss anyone who believes different to them as less moral. If either of you turn out to be right, it will be entirely by accident.

An idiot with knowledge is still an idiot

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@farmerman,

Quote:

They argue that Evolution violates all kinds of LAws of physics yet they are totally denying most laws of physics to even accept their worldview.

Therein lies part of my problem, the necessity for ignorance in any belief is an issue for me. I have many friends in religious groups and varying degrees of atheists, everyone seems to preach what they guess to be right as fact.

I am happy to listen to anyones model theory for the existence of the universe, but it is depressing how many people refuse to test their model properly to see if it actually works as a whole.

When religion flies in the face of scientific theory, I expect a damn good explanation, sadly few can provide it. The same goes for the science groupies who ride on the coat tails of the intelligent people but are unable to defend their assertions beyond the words they accumulate from textbooks
I can count on my fingers the people I respect in the field of religion, and perhaps would have to use my toes when it comes to science.

I on the other hand have very few answers and a hell of a lot of questions.

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@JimmyJ,

What was the question?

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@Calamity Dal,

Quote:

I on the other hand have very few answers and a hell of a lot of questions.

Nothin wrong with that> I always worry when I seem to hear some new stuff that claims to be "the final answer on this or that in evolution theory' I feel that testing all these findings against what we know is a really good start.

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@Calamity Dal,

Quote:

give it a rest Jimmy and let the grown ups talk

R.I.P. English language

I'd hope that a "grown up" such as yourself would have a better understanding of basic grammar.

Quote:

Your type are no different from the religious fundamentalists who fanaticise and dismiss anything but what's in the textbooks you're taught from. You're as ignorant and blind as they are. You dismiss anyone who believes different to you as less intelligent, they dismiss anyone who believes different to them as less moral. If either of you turn out to be right, it will be entirely by accident.

The difference is quite clear. Evidence and science as a whole are on MY side. Creationism and/or intelligent design have both been dubbed (both by evidence and by the scientific community) as bogus nonsense. Intelligent design is a perfectly valid philosophical theory, but has nothing to do with science and never will. How you can't see that equating me with a creationist is idiotic is beyond me. I just clearly highlighted why your entire viewpoint is incorrect (my clear distinction between "theory" and "scientific theory" above). Hopefully you can learn from this.

Quote:

An idiot with knowledge is still an idiot

An idiot without knowledge and without the ability to gain it is not only an idiot, but is an ignorant idiot.

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@JimmyJ,

Your emphasis was on evolution, not biology. I didn't forget the comma, I didn't need it. I preferred it without the pause. Now listen to Calamity Dal and shut up.

What sort of sad pillock needs to start a thread just to ridicule strangers on the internet? Not one, I wager who has a girlfriend.

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@izzythepush,

Get mad.
Google "comma usage". It doesn't matter if you intend for a pause to be there. In the English language you put one there regardless. You've lost once again, old man.

And you'd wager incorrectly, good sir. I can send you a picture or two in a private message if you're that curious.

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@JimmyJ,

You can either slavishly follow rules or you can go your own way. Do not send me any pms.

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@izzythepush,

Quote:

You can either slavishly follow rules or you can go your own way. Do not send me any pms.

Oh, you're such a renegade. Someone look out for Billy the bad ass over here! He breaks comma rules!

http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/200/420/BRTky.jpg?1321408042

If you didn't want a PM you wouldn't have taken a shot at my personal life (unsuccessfully of course).

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@JimmyJ,

An expected retort. Keep plugging away Jimmy, I'm no english major and I didn't ask why you thought you were right, I just lump you in with the rest of the people I don't respect. No amount science gets you respect.

I'm selective as to who I learn from. I'd consider it dangerous to listen to you boyo.

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@farmerman,

I am learning slowly, but like the little engine that could, I hope to get there eventually. I have another 30-40 years to learn

Excuse my poor grammar.

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@JimmyJ,

JimmyJ wrote:

If you didn't want a PM you wouldn't have taken a shot at my personal life (unsuccessfully of course).

You really have a need to tell me how unaffected you are by everything I post. Why do you have such a need?
I only pm people I get on with, not people don't see eye to eye with.
What would be the point of such a pm anyway? Anybody can grab a picture off Facebook and claim it's their girlfriend.
Let's give you the benefit of the doubt, and say you do have a girlfriend. How do you think she'd feel, if she knew that, with very little provocation, you were prepared to send her picture to some stranger on the internet? Not even a stranger you get on with, for all you know I could be a serial killer looking for my next project. Next time take a deep breath.

Btw, posting a drawing of your girlfriend is almost as reckless as posting a photograph.

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The good news is the internet will keep people that prefer to argue all the time over silly things from having children. Evolution at work.

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Why do people deny evolution?

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