...The Theory of Evolution “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” (Charles Darwin). One of the more controversial pieces ever written was Darwin’s Natural Selection. The controversy is evolution vs. creation. Religion says earth and mankind, and life in general was created by god (as told in the creation story) with a design and purpose. Darwin says life all descends from a common ancestor with modifications over time in an undirected manor. It is not outside the realm of possibility that Darwin may be right considering he was trained as a minister and allowed himself to step outside the general consensus. Much like he did, we may need to accept that there may be some truth to the work he has done over his life I feel that Darwin's work was impactful because it shows us that there are alternative reasoning’s behind how we got here. I agree with Darwin's work and his theory of evolution because it is actually supported by evidence. I don't know about you but I've never been religious. I also think that his theory should be taught because religion has no place in public classrooms. Let parents teach religion, schools teach science, and allow the child to decide what to believe. I believe that evolution is real because it explains why there are so many different types of certain species. Natural selection is the gradual process by which biological traits become either more or less common in a population...
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...living peoples • Archaeology • Linquistics Bio‐Anthropology • Evolution of us (subject of this class) • Study of Primates • How the human species has physically ad d apte to different environments (bi l ) (biology) • Diversity of human species • Human health, past and present • Interpretation of human remains (forensics, osteology). Scientific Method (including steps in the scientific method) The Scientific Method • Basic belief that physical world is empirical and objective • Objective vs. interpretive information • All science is conducted within a cultural and social paradigm Observation Inductive Interpretation Coming up with Hypothesis • Use what we already know about the world to create hypothesis of what bees do: Testing Hypothesis • Create tests or design set of observations to test the hypothesis’ Refine Hypothesis/Create new ones • If hypothesis is rejected, can come up with new ones (alternatives) to test • If hypothesis is supported, can further refine it or come up with alternatives that could also be “correct” – Could tomatoes be naturally pollinated in other ways? • Occam's razor: accept the simplest explanation that works Testing hypothesis is repeatable • Our results will be replicated if others perform the same test, or if we repeat it. Use of the Scientific Method • Use objective methods to catalog the past – Use this to interpret the past • Hypotheses, models, theories • Inductive vs. deductive reasoning • Does the data fit the model? • Use of a...
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...ISU Controversial Issues in World Religions Evolution vs. Creation In society, there are many diverse issues that raise intense controversy. One that is particularly interesting is the ongoing conflict between the world of science and some segments of religious society. This essay will refer to the debate between evolution and creationism which has ranged through the course of human history, but intensified as the science and evolving proofs of evolution are generated. Evolution has proved that Creationist beliefs and their denial defy logic, science and reality. One of the most common questions that humanity tends to ask itself is where we came from and how we came to be. It is inherent to every human being to ask himself about their origin and purpose of their existence. Humanity’s first attempt to answer these questions was religion (Christianity, Judaism, Islamic); however science has introduced an alternative to religion’s so called answer, evolution. The current argument began with an English naturalist by the name of Charles Darwin. Darwin was the first to propose the theory of evolution, which states that mankind, through genetic mutation and natural selection, evolved from a common ancestor over a prolonged period based on natural selection processes. This theory directly defied religious beliefs at the time; more specifically those of the Catholic church which believes in creationism, or in a more general sense intelligent design. Creationism...
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...*Q: What is Evolution? - Descent from modification * Macro Evolution (Large Scale Evolution) * Common Ancestor - descent of different species over many generations * OVER LARGER TIMESCALE (ex. Speciation) * Micro Evolution (Small Scale Evolution) * Changes in gene (allele) frequency in population from one generation to the next * May be over shorter time period (generations) * BOTH OF THESE IMPLY: * 1. Common Ancestry * 2. Changes through time *Natural selection occurs when 3 conditions are met; results in evolution * 1. There is variation in a trait * (Ex. Beetle color) * 2. The trait is heritable * (Ex. Brown beetles tends to have brown babies) * 3. There is differential reproductive success, and not all individuals reproduce to their full potential * (Ex. Green beetles are selected against by natural and Brown beetles are selected for- so they reproduce more) *Adaption: A trait that increases the ability of an individual to survive and reproduce compared with individuals without the trait Adaption in an evolutionary context: An inherited trait that makes an organism more fit in its abiotic and biotic environment, and that has arisen as a result of the direct action of natural selection for its primary function. Ex. Mimicry of the non-toxic king snake to evade predators Natural selection leads to Adaptions * Adjustments or changes In behavior, physiology...
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...Growing up, I was raised in church with my father being a pastor of a church in the community. I was taught the bible and the book of Genesis. The different beliefs that were instilled in me were to believe that God created man and woman. In evolutionary or ecology classes, we are introduced to the theory of where man came from amoeba-like organisms, or even that we evolved from apes. How did life of origin arise? The components of evolution might explain how, but Creation gives a reason to believe why. Origin of life’s existence, as well as age of the earth is a question that is looked under a microscope and probed through both biblical theories, as well as scientific. Looking at difference evidence, acceptance of creation is growing even in spite of scientists trying to prove evolution. Within this paper, there will be different pieces of evidence and facts supporting each theory and there will be an argument, within my conclusion, on which theory I support. The theory of creation can be explained through various books in the bible. Creationists use the Bible as the truth for which they believe the origin of life came into existence. In bible studies and bible school, we were taught that God took clay from the ground which he shaped to a man that he called Adam. A verse in the King James Version, of the Bible, mentions “and the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Then, the Lord made...
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...1 3 (Theodosius Dobzhansky, 1973) • “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.” Understanding Biology… 2 What is biological evolution? 1 V ¨© ¡¦¥¥I % $B ¥¨¥2¥¦ ( %©6¥) £0¦ ©) ¥¦ %! ©"2 8@W@ VW V 0I $ "U §¥&8©SR V V¨ $ $ ¦ £ W H $ H ) ¦ ¤ T ) ¨ 6 $ 2 ¨ ¦ F ©) £§¦ ©) $¥¦ "! ¦"QP ¥© ¡#I H ¦G&4 !¥) ¥@E!¥" $B #! )#A @95) #¦ &8¦ ¥ ' ( ¢7 ) 'D C ¡ $ $ 1 ¡ ¦ $ ¨ 4 2 © ' #¦"2#©6&5)##) #230("0"!"¥) "' &§$"©¦ %! #"¢ 1 ' ¡ ' ! ( ¡ ¤ $ !! ¦ ¥ ¥©¥©§¥£ ¢ ¨ ¡ ¦ £ ¨ ¦ ¤ ¡ April 28, 2007 Oxnard, CA Human Evolution and the Nature of Science Evolution & NOS • As the common thread in biology, the topic of evolution can help students make sense of diverse biological concepts. 4 Common Misconception about Human Evolution – Man evolved from apes or chimps… chimps… – No, Chimpanzees and humans had a common and less specialized ancestor – Common Chimp = Pan troglodytes – Human = Homo sapiens 5 In the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin makes reference to human evolution only once when he writes “light will be thrown on the origin of man and his history.” 6 2 It is of no surprise that much light or evidence has been gathered by paleoanthropologists – which include scientists who study human evolution – since Darwin’s book was first published in 1859. 7 In the last two years alone, both in science/research journals and in the public media, there have been numerous scientific articles, news reports...
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...Pure Logic vs. Scientific Logic “Reasoning is an art, and reasoning about the natural world is the art that lies at the base of science” (Castel and Sismondo 55). Pure logic is “a form of reasoning conducted or assessed according to strict principles of validity” (Oxford Dictionaries). In contrast, scientific logic is a form of reasoning in which a logical thought process is used to conduct experiments and research in order to reach a valid conclusion. Altogether, pure and scientific logic are different forms of reasoning used to solve everyday problems in life; yet, it is ‘scientific logic’ that is more prevalent in solving everyday problems, including critical interpretations of major problems on earth. Scientific logic is the best choice to cope with life problems in the midst of global issues; it helps facilitate our logical expertise in daily matters; it is both predictable and reliable; and on a greater scale, scientific logic helps us deal with the widespread problems on earth. With the growth of science and new emerging technologies, life is becoming more complicated, therefore relying purely on logic is insufficient. “Most of the time very little follows logically from what we know, and when we think that it does we learn that most of our knowledge consists of generalizations that don’t hold 100 percent of the time” (Castel and Sismondo 71). People live in a world of probability and because “scientific reasoning develops over time,” (Castel and Sismondo 74) they...
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...Title: Evolution and Intelligent Design: Which Is True? Introduction: * Controversial subject * Full into beliefs * Very political * Connection between Intelligent Design & Creationism I. Background A. Evolution is the scientific theory that all life forms on Earth today are descended from a single cell organism 1. Charles Darwin & Natural Selection 2. Genes carry the DNA codes for a evolutionary trait to be passed to the next generation B. Creationists feel the need to attack the evolution theory to “free God from its shackles” 1. Evolution provides a meaningful explanation of the relationship of the Creator to man & animals 2. We are formed, by the Creator, from the dust of the Earth C. Evolution is metaphysics 1. Something transforms into other things, but the process is unexplained 2. Breathing air, wings & fins are excellent examples II. First Side- Evolution A. Does not prove there is no God 1. May not be able to prove there is a higher power, can prove that a fish grew leg & walked on land 2. Provides the basis for the Creator’s work, macro to micro B. Historical trials & their outcomes 1. Wesley Roberts-“A Struggle in Tennessee” 2. John Scopes- trial of religion & science III. Second Side- Intelligent Design A. The theory by Mr. Charles Darwin 1. No sufficient evidence to prove that one organism evolves into another 2. Evolution & Alchemy go hand-in-hand;...
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...DARWIN VS LAMARCK Evolution is a process of change, modern theories of evolution state that all living organisms share a common origin. It is the slow process that changes animals and plants with modification. Small modifications occur at the genetic level in DNA with each generation. These genetic changes can alter the characteristics of the population and as new species appear. The aim of this seminar is to inform the audience on the various theories of evolution such as Darwin and Lamarck and how their evidence is supported or disregarded. Naturalist Charles Robert Darwin was born in Shrewsbury 1809, Darwin embarked on a five year survey voyage around the world on the HMS beagle. His studies of specimens around the globe led him to formulate...
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...A History of Modern Psychology Why is the understanding the history of psychology important? A psychologist and historian (E.G. Boring, 1963) once said, “The seats on the train of progress all face backwards: You can see the past but only guess about the future. Yet a knowledge of history, although it can never be complete and fails miserably to foretell the future, has a huge capacity for adding significance to the understanding of the present” (see chapter 1). Every course that you have taken on history has shown that we never learn anything from our past mistakes, and that looking back cannot guarantee our future in setting stone. But psychology is important to learn because it teaches us a few things: one, it would help psychologist become more critical thinker and be able to help people better, and can help measure those “evolutionary breakthroughs” because of the initial excitement that usually comes with the beginning of anything. Two, it could bring every psychologist closer together because of so many diverse field, we share a common ground. Psychology history does not date back far; in fact many would claim to say that it is in childhood stage for it is no older than 125 years (see Chapter 1). Robert I. Watson was a clinical psychologist with a passion for history, created an organization by calling psychologist from an article he wrote,” History of Psychology: A Neglected Area” (Watson, 1960). Watson found people with similar goal from the American Psychological...
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...ENG121 Evolution vs. Creationism The debate between evolutionism and creationism began thousands of years ago and the battle between the two streams of thought continues to this day. While creationists believe in a god who is the absolute creator of heaven and earth less than 10,000 years ago, evolutionists believe that the universe began billions of years ago with life started as just a single cell bacteria evolving slowly into everything we see today. “What’s the difference between creationism and evolution?” Charles Darwin’s work on evolution is the most recognized throughout history and the evidence that he discovered supporting evolution changed how many people viewed the history of our universe. His main research project was on a process called natural selection, the idea that survival of the fittest has been a main determinant is shaping how the earth and all living things appear today. Charles Darwin discuses this idea of Natural Selection in his essay “Natural Selection”, detailing evidence supporting his theory. This paper will discuss Darwin’s essay but will also go into further detail of his discoveries, other evolutionary milestones and finally comparing and contrasting the evolutionary argument to the creationism point of view. The idea of evolution first came about in the 1600’s when European naturalists started to question the current theories about how our universe was created. In 1666 the first evidence of evolution was discovered when a couple of fishermen...
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...Creationism Vs. Evolution in Today’s Society The dispute between creationism and evolution is a long debated controversy. It is an argument most people choose to avoid. This debate is extremely controversial due to personal belief, most in part due to secularism and religion. Even with the exponentially increasing knowledge of today, it has remained a long fought controversy throughout the twenty-first century. Science deals with the mind, and is the backbone of modern civilization. Religion deals with emotions, and often teaches people invaluable ethical principles. Both Science and Religion are vital in our culture in order for humanity to progress. In order for society to progress, children should be taught about both evolution and creationism, and taught to question both theories. As a result, our children will be open-minded and have the skills to “think outside of the box”. The theories of today and from the past are ones regarding strong factual evidence that has been extensively tested through the scientific method. The Theory of Evolution states that life has evolved from simple, single-celled organisms that all share a common ancestor. Throughout history these organisms faced the challenges of survival, and because of this, became more complex. Different stimuli, in different parts of the world, cause organisms to evolve differently. When these different simple organisms meet, there is often competition between the two in order to reproduce and/or survive. This occurs...
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...Explain the mechanism of natural selection: Charles Darwin had proposed a different theory of evolution called natural selection. It is defined as a better adaption to the environment. With this definition, we focus on the traits that are passed down from parents to their offspring. These traits are known as hereditable traits. Certain heritable traits lead to an increase in successfully reproducing offspring. Though, not all of the traits they acquire will be useful for their certain environment. Thus, we incorporate the idea of use vs disuse. Many individuals will lose unused characteristics that they do not need to adapt to their environment to survive and develop ones that are more suitable. As more of the same trait is being disused, we do not see it in the newer generations. Natural selection may act on individuals but evolutionariy changes occur in a population. Describe and explain the scientific method: The scientific method is a set of guidelines to help one ask questions and test out a question on a specific topic or area of interest. In the scientific method, one must start out with a question directing their attention to a very narrow topic. The next thing one would do is a little research about what is already known and work from there. Constructing a hypothesis is the next step. A hypothesis is defined as a proposed explanation for a phenomenon or for a set of observations. To prove the hypothesis is right or wrong, one must conduct a series of tests/experiments...
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...Students Name Instructor Course Date Is evolution just another story? Evolution vs creationism Ever since the British naturalist Charles Darwin published his ground breaking theory The Origin of Species by Natural Selection in 1859, there has always been this argument of whether to believe in evolution or in creationism. On one hand, evolution narrates the story of emergence of life as to result from the unlikely reactions of several chemicals that existed about 3 billion years ago at a time when the earth was just a young planet. These chemicals would go on to form a self-replicating protein molecule (Dyson 13) that somehow and despite all the odds went on to form the genesis of all living things- plants, animals, the dead and the living. For billions of years a process of gradual selection called natural selection by Darwin, that only serves the best or the most fit to survive the terms of the environment has been and is constantly in work shaping the species of today and for the prolonged period that it has been in existence led to the emergence of different forms including as it were humans (Mitchell, Sherman and Tehon 27). Accordingly all livings are but relatives of each other and have descended from one single source. The alternative to evolution is creationism a theory which purports that all that we can see, touch and even what everything is was a product of design by a superpower and a super mind called God (Dyson 45). The world in the eyes of creationists is...
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...Evolution and Intelligent Design The subject of how life started on this planet we called “Earth” is a very controversial subject. The whole topic is a battle of the beliefs of its inhabitants. It is seen in politics, as well as in schools, the workplace, and other areas that people are interacting. Intelligent Design is occasionally referred to as Creationism. However, the proper title is Intelligent Design. Creationism is more along the lines of a religious assembly. Yet the supporters of both affiliations are called Creationists. Evolution, by definition, is the scientific theory that all life forms on Earth today are descended from a single cell organism (Source B). Intelligent Design is the belief that a higher power fashioned all the forms life as they are now. Charles Darwin created the idea of Natural Selection (Source B). Within it, a specific species can adapt to a change and pass that gene onto its offspring. The genes carry the DNA codes for the evolutionary trait to be passed on (FAQ). Creationists feel the need to harass the evolution theory to “Free God from its shackles” (Leone). Evolution provides significant justification of the relationship linking the life on Earth and the Creator (Leone). As quoted from Leone, “We are formed, by the Creator, from the dust of the Earth.” Evolution is metaphysics; a branch of philosophy investigating principles of reality transcending those of any particular science (Gerdes). Some subjects transform into other...
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