Evolution? How?

Yeah, your forgiveness has worn thin on more than one occassion, oh thou fervent singer of psalms . . . by the way, that's 'Mericans, with a capital "M" . . .

Setanta, I pulled that off of a site called 'Canadian Quotes" www.indefual.net It was quoted from Don Sweet. A Canadian. I haven't taken French for quite some time and have forgotten more than I learned. Thanks for the lesson! But I can speak Spanish, eh?

Yes, Canadians are a forgiving lot. I know a lot of very nice Canucks and some I'd like to send to the US. Actually Texas.

Just a bit taken from here:
http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~ecolevol/execsumm.html



Environment and conservation. Evolutionary insights are important in both conservation and management of renewable resources. Population genetic methods are frequently used to assess the genetic structure of rare or endangered species as a means of determining appropriate conservation measures. Studies of the genetic composition of wild relatives of crop species can be used to discover potentially useful new genes that might be transferred into cultivated species. Studies of wild plants' adaptations to polluted or degraded soils contribute to the reclamation of damaged land.

Agriculture and natural resources. The principles of plant and animal breeding strongly parallel natural evolutionary mechanisms, and there is a rich history of interplay between evolutionary biology and agricultural science. Evolutionary insights play a clear role in understanding the ongoing evolution of various crop pathogens and insect pests, including the evolution of resistance to pest-control measures. The methods of evolutionary genetics can be used to identify different gene pools of commercially important fish and other organisms, their migration routes, and differences in their physiology, growth, and reproduction.

Finding useful natural products. Many thousands of natural products are used in medicine, food production and processing, cosmetics, biotechnology, pest control, and industry, but millions of other potentially useful natural products have yet to be screened or even discovered. Evolutionary principles allow a targeted search by predicting adaptations to environmental selection pressures and by identifying organisms related to those that have already yielded useful natural products. Exploration of related species has also made it possible to develop natural products from more accessible relatives of rare species in which natural products have been found, as occurred when the rare and endangered Pacific yew was found to contain a substance (taxol) useful in treating breast cancer.

Human health and medicine. Methods and principles from evolutionary biology have contributed to understanding the links between genes and human genetic diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. Evolutionary methods help to trace the origins and epidemiology of infectious diseases, and to analyze the evolution of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic microorganisms. Evolutionary principles are used to interpret human physiological functions and dietary needs. Methods developed by evolutionary geneticists are playing an important role in mapping defective human genes, in genetic counseling, and in identifying genetic variants that alter risks for common systemic diseases and responses to medical treatments.

Biotechnology. The interplay between biotechnology and evolutionary biology holds great promise for application to important societal needs. As genetic engineering has reached the field implementation stage, evolutionary biologists have been prominently involved in risk assessment as well as interpretation of phenotypic consequences of transgene insertion. Finally, the automation of DNA sequencing has made it possible to reconstruct the precise genealogical relationship among specific genes, such as those of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Understanding humanity. Evolutionary biology has contributed greatly to human understanding of ourselves by describing our origins, our relationships to other living things, and the history and significance of variation within and among different groups of people. Evolutionary anthropologists, psychologists, and biologists have advanced hypotheses on the biological bases of human culture and behavior. In addition, the evolutionary framework for understanding humanity has had a profound impact on literature, the arts, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities.....

.....Contributions to Other Biological Disciplines
Evolution is widely viewed as central to biological understanding in general (NAS. 1998. Teaching about Evolution and the Nature of Science. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.). Many biologists in diverse fields regard at least a portion of what they do as evolutionary. Recent accomplishments to which evolutionary biology has contributed include the following:
Molecular biology. Evolutionary approaches have contributed insight into the function and structure of molecular processes within cells. Examples include reconstruction and functional analysis of ancestral protein sequences, and elucidation of the significance of different types of DNA. Evolutionary research thus points the way to research on fundamental molecular mechanisms.

Developmental biology. A resurgence in interaction between developmental biology and evolutionary biology is now under way, in part through comparisons among families of genes that play critical roles in development. For example, the same genes in organisms as different as insects and mammals play similar developmental roles in some instances, and surprisingly different roles in other cases. Such studies help to identify the developmental functions of genes and lead to a deeper understanding of the processes that transform a fertilized egg into a complex adult.

Physiology and anatomy. Evolutionary biology has long influenced the study of physiology and anatomy in animals and plants, and has the potential to make many other contributions that are only now being developed. Some of these contributions will affect the study of human physiology, including related areas such as clinical psychology. The logical perspectives, methods, and comparative data of evolutionary biology can advance our understanding of functional anatomy and physiological mechanisms, and can be applied to areas such as medicine, agriculture, and veterinary science.

Neurobiology and behavior. From its inception, the field of animal behavior has had a strong evolutionary base, for its goals have included understanding the evolutionary origin of behavioral traits and their adaptiveness. The evolutionary study of animal behavior has joined with comparative psychology in several areas of research, such as the study of learning and the search for adaptive mechanisms in human cognitive processes.

Applications beyond biology. There have long been rewarding interactions between evolutionary biology and other analytical fields, notably statistics and economics. Some of the basic tools in statistics, including analysis of variance and path analysis, were originally developed by evolutionary biologists. Along the same lines, evolutionary algorithms that mimic natural selection in biological systems are currently being used in computer and systems applications.

P

Texas? No, not Texas. Anywhere but Texas! Oh, the horror.

All of the above digested and stored for future use. One question remains for those who would preach evolution: how come no one has made a complete human being from their primordial soup recipe? No explanation, other than natural evolution, for various species and the huge variety. From a glop of primordial soup, are we to believe that butterflies, elephants, various ethnic groups of humans, lizards, insects, trees, plants, etc miraculously appeared? You have to have the spark of life to create life. Scientists are trying to create out of what was/is already there. Scientists play with genes, they have not created genes or the double helix. There is much potential for harm in GMO vegetables and fruits, as has been shown.
With all the 'knowledge' how many species are completely gone now? And on the endangered list?

Tommyrot of the first order . . . who have you ever encountered who "preaches" evolution . . . don't lie about your agenda--fundamentalist crackpottery will out . . .

Tommyrot? Showing your age?

Anyhoo, about the preaching evolution line. Seems to fit as a transitive verb. To urge people to accept idea: to make an opinion or attitude known to others and urge others to share it.

I am sure you will correct me if I am wrong.

That's the point isn't it? Evolution DEMANDS that bacteria (or some one celled critter) DID evolve into something else, or all life would have remained at the one cell level. (Yes I know that it supposedly took place over lots and lots of time. Don't be the umpteenth person to respond back, 'wait a minute that's not how evolution works. you don't understand.........' )

The manifestation of different traits among the same creatures is seized upon by evolutionists as 'proof' the evolution is occurring when nothing of the kind is demonstrated. Inferences and proof are not the same thing.

You may have a firm conviction that one celled critters DID indeed evolve into something else, but that is all that it is unless you can demonstrate it. A conviction, a belief and nothing more.

Using the example of your body resisting a disease -- this is not evolution.

Just because your body's ability to resist a specific sickness was unknown to YOU until it happened, doesn't mean that the ability did not exist.

And even if it did, it simply improves you ability (and your descendants' ) to survive and thrive as what you are. It didn't make you into something else, or even put you on the path to becoming something else. Just a healthier you, that's all.

Teaching a scientific method and preaching some hare-brained gospel are not equivalent activities. One would hope that eventually, the nickle would drop, and you would become self-correcting.

I just didn't want to deny you the opportunity. By your ignoring the definition and instead picking up on the correction part, you seem to have lost your edge in your manner of dispute. I take it that you agree with the definition.

As usual, you don't miss an opportunity to call the gospel "hare-brained" or one of your other colourful adjectives.

I try to give the crowd what they're expecting in the way of entertainment, Boss . . .

The fact that "the crowd" expects Christianity to be knocked confirms discussion in other threads. Give the crowds what they want at any cost. Somehow the picture of a organ grinder and his monkey jumps to mind.

You are never far from snotty contempt when what you consider due respect is not accorded to your superstition of choice. Simple customary popularity for your preferred hare-brained gospel does not recommend it to me as anything which deserves respect or serious consideration. Reasonable people don't respect racism simply based upon the strength of conviction of its adherents, and i see no qualitative difference between racism and bloody-red religion. If that bothers you, that's a problem you need to get over. You may compare me to an organ-grinder if you like, but i'd choose someone a good deal more clever than a psalm-singer to play the role of monkey--anything in your line of believer would be an insult to primates everywhere.

Actually, I was thinking of your public as the grinder and you as the monkey. Of course, in your arrogance, you want to be the grinder.

I am content in the knowledge that it is better to believe in something and have hope than to merely go through life being a vintage vindictive vilifier.

I'm not vindictive, and your attempts at insult are pathetic, as is your desparate clinging to your supersition. You seem to think you're entitled to some special consideration for your loonie beliefs. Were someone to approach me on the street ranting about seeing Elvis with Venusians getting out of a space ship, i'd react with contempt. You have no more basis for credulity with your nonsense--and this never gets to this nasty pass until you start getting your panties in a twist because your hare-brained gospel of choice is not accorded a respect which it does not deserve, and which there is no guarantee in a free society that it will get.

I am not attempting to insult. I am just trying to get your attention. I find it fascinating that we have never had a religious discussion on these threads, nor have I attempted in any way to foist my believes upon you. Yet you find this such a contentious issue. Relishing in throwing barbs at every opportunity for the simple fact that I believe in God says more about you than it does about me.

Perhaps it is time to get back on topic.

Set,

If you don't mind my asking and if it is not too personal, can you tell me why you think our beliefs are looney?

And Set, what is the difference between racism and how you describe our faith? Is that not a source of discrimination itself?

That's a hell of a stutter you've got there. I don't find this a contentious issue, i find evolution to be a scientific subject. I also find that the religious loonies show up at this site, post a thread about a scientific subject in the spirituality and religion forum, and then attempt with the feeblest of rhetorical method to equate science with religion and scientific education with religious indoctrination. Inevitably, someone such as you gets their back up because of the manner in which your superstition of choice is characterized, and your resentment shows through in your puerile attempts to insult. Your denial of the attempt is as pathetic as is the attempt.

I wrote, in a comment about a post made by someone else, to this effect: "ommyrot of the first order . . . who have you ever encountered who "preaches" evolution . . . don't lie about your agenda--fundamentalist crackpottery will out . . ."

You couldn't resist, and so you've started this entire exchange, and gotten more invidious and nasty as it goes along. I'm prepared to keep it up just as long as you are, even though i did not start with you, you've brought it on yourself. Your inability to ignore remarks such as i make in addressing someone else says a lot more about you than it does about me.

Tommyrot

Ok, let's all go to our respective corners before this thread gets locked up. It appears tempers are flaring somewhat here and I hate to see that. Let's show some love people!