Comments by "pinball1970" (@pinball1970) on "World Science Festival"
channel.
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
@rodt9779 This is the last one from the Genetics Society of America but ALL respected Scientific societies have a similar statement. Statement on Evolution and Creationism
The GSA supports educating students in genetics and consequently feels it important to express its views on the teaching of evolution in elementary and secondary schools. The GSA strongly endorses such teaching, as genetics and evolution are two very closely interwoven disciplines. In fact, evolution might be summarized as population genetics over time. Some people have been opposed to the teaching of evolution because "it is only a theory." Such opposition rests on a mistaken understanding of what defines a scientific theory. In common usage "theory" means "conjecture" or "speculation," whereas in scientific usage it means a systematically organized body of knowledge that explains a large set of observations and makes testable predictions.
Science operates first by observation and then by developing a hypothesis as a preliminary explanation of the data. A theory is a hypothesis that has been subsequently confirmed by abundant, consistent data obtained from tests of the hypothesis. For example, the atomic theory explains the behavior of physical substances in terms of the properties of elementary particles (atoms) and their combinations (molecules). This theory accounts for so many observations that it is accepted as the basis for all of chemistry.
The theory of evolution by natural selection is also such a confirmed hypothesis, as developed through the ongoing investigation and understanding of many different areas of biological, chemical, physical and earth science. As such, it is modifiable and constantly refined as new research and information come to light. Without evolutionary theory, we would be forced to completely discard much of what we understand about fields such as genetics, botany, zoology, paleontology, and anthropology.
"Scientific creationism," "intelligent design," and other terms have been offered as alternative explanations for past and present biological processes. However, these represent a collection of beliefs usually based on a literal interpretation of religious texts and are thus disguises for religious doctrine, and not scientific theories. They ignore the empirical data around us and fail to provide a testable hypothesis. Consequently, since no testable explanation for biological history has been provided by these alternative views, they cannot be considered scientific theories and should not be part of school science curricula. They are more appropriate for courses in literature, sociology, or religion.
As evolution is the only scientific theory to explain the biological history of life and as the GSA supports the education of students in genetics, the GSA hereby endorses the teaching of the facts and theory of evolution at all levels, including in elementary and secondary schools.
For a more complete discussion of science, evolution, and creationism, see the booklet "Science and Creationism: A View from the National Academy of Science."
Document developed by GSA Board of Directors, June, 2003.
1
-
1
-
@rodt9779 Here is what the actual scientists say about ERVs, this is from a scientists blog and his paper is in the link I sent.
'Creationists and intelligent design advocates like to think that because some ERVs have useful functions in the human genome, they must have been deliberately put there by a creator / designer with that particular purpose in mind. Of course, no-one can explicitly prove that that is incorrect – it’s not a falsifiable hypothesis, and therefore it’s not science. What we can show is that ERVs provide evidence in support of the theory of evolution.
Let’s imagine how ERVs would behave within a model of evolution by common descent. An ancient creature, let’s call it the common ancestor of all modern mammals, is infected by a retrovirus that becomes endogenous. All of the animal’s descendants (i.e. all mammals) would be expected to carry the same ERV insertion (ERV1) in the same chromosomal location.
Fast forward in evolutionary time. Different lineages have evolved and diverged from the original common ancestor and there are now many different types of mammal in existence, all carrying ERV1. A small rodent, let’s call it the common ancestor of mice and rats, is again infected by a species-specific retrovirus that becomes endogenous. This is ERV2. In a parallel event in a different lineage, the common ancestor of all great apes acquires a third insertion, ERV3.
Moving forward again, a fourth ERV appears in some of these new-fangled human thingies that are running around in Africa, but not in their hairier relatives who will eventually evolve into modern chimpanzees. The early humans spread out, and a fifth and (don’t worry) final ERV arises in a population that is isolated in a discrete geographical location. The infection does not spread to other human populations.
So what would we expect? Humans, chimps, mice and rats should all possess ERV1. The mouse and rat genomes will also contain ERV2, the virus that infected their common ancestor, but not the primate-specific ERV3, 4 or 5 insertions. All great apes will share an identical ERV3 insertion; all humans will also possess an ERV4 insertion that is not found in chimps or other apes. In addition, some, but not all, humans will carry an insertion of ERV5. The rodent-specific ERV2 insertion will not be found in any primate species.
Now that several genomes have been sequenced, we have begun to test these predictions. The patterns of ERV insertions observed in modern species exactly match the predictions made by the model described above.'
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
@rodt9779 You Dont think Evolution actually creates anything at all so god must have given Adam an immune system. That means that god also created TB malaria, diphtheria, cancer, syphilis, leprosy, Salmonella, cholera, typhoid, pubic lice, scabies, ring worm, Ebola virus, yellow fever, Clostridium sp causing Botulism and gas gangrene and my personal favourite, Saccharomyces sp where we get beer from. The most ridiculous thing about this is that Noah and his family MUST have had ALL of these pathogens before the flood otherwise where did they come from? The answer of course is that there was no flood or creation these things evolved with us just like every other living thing on the planet.
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1