Bay 12 Games Forum

Evolution is a process that kicks in once replicators exist. Once a replicator exists then evolution takes place, but before then, evolution doesn't exist.

Evolution thus explains everything SINCE the origin of life

And I'll say it again: everyone who insists that evolution is "just a theory" or "bordering on religion" or that the evidence for it is shaky, either has no clue how evolution works, or has a preconceived notion and an agenda about not believing simple facts. The evidence for evolution is so overwhelmingly that you have to intentionally ignoring it not to believe it.

I recently discovered an incident of recursion in a Ludacris song ("Virgo"...awesome song btw) where he relates a tale of stepping into tha club, and "this song" was playing


shit!!!

Yeah but Jesus explicitly said and set an example that you're supposed to love your enemies as opposed to kill them

I was getting at that ID isn't all religious prattle. There is real merit to it.

What merit would that be

It sure doesn't contribute anything to science, that's for sure, and it does a worse job of explaining complex life than any theory of evolution does

1 - Is Intelligent Design a valid scientific theory? Why or why not?

No because it's just creationism repackaged. As in, "ID" textbooks are just old creation science textbooks where they did a find and replace for "intelligent design"
See Kenneth Miller (a devout Catholic who's also an evolutionary scientist and fervent crusader against intelligent design) for more

2 - Is evolution a valid scientific theory? Why or why not?

Of course. The evidence is so overwhelming that all thinking people can't help but realize that evolution is real. This is a dumb question.

3 - Do you consider evolution to be a theory, or a fact? Why?

Both. There are theories of evolution, regarding some of the details that we aren't sure of exactly how it works, but then there's the fact that life arose through evolution.

4 - Do you consider Intelligent Design a scientific way of thinking, or mainly a religious way of thinking? Why?

Religious. All it does is look for gaps in our knowledge in order to try and wedge creationism in. Any approach like that will necessarily become more and more ridiculous as the gaps it exploits are closed. Not to mention it offers nothing new to science, makes no empirical predictions, explains nothing, etc.

5 - Should evolution be taught in public schools? Explain.

Of course. It's science.

6 - Should Intelligent Design be taught in public schools? Explain.

Of course not. That's tantamount to state funding of religious teaching.

7 - Should Intelligent Design and evolution both be taught alongside one another? Explain.

Of course not. First of all, it violates the first amendment. Second, you make science look bad by giving dumb crypto-creationist ideas the same status as it.

8 - Is it possible to believe in a divine being, as well as Evolution?

Of course it is and many people do. Like, for example, the Pope.

Also, fact: Everyone who believes evolution is "just a theory" and not a good explanation of how life as we know it emerged, does not in fact understand evolution...or is doing the equivalent of putting their hands over their ears and going "lalalalalalalla". And I do mean everyone.

What are the "two major formats" of languages?

But yeah, all the evidence points to linguistic ability being an evolved "organ" just like the heart or kidneys

I don't really believe that people's minds can generate pure rationality because we really didn't evolve to do that