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It's Dogged as Does It [Darwin in the Galápagos]
Scientific American ^ | February 2006 issue | Michael Shermer

Posted on 01/22/2006 4:28:17 AM PST by PatrickHenry

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To: dread78645

LOL!

Nobody's mentioned Thermodynamics lately, either.

That one lie really bothers me, though. In part because it's been so thoroughly debunked, even by creationist sites, and in part because it's not relevant.

Even if Darwin had "found religion" and somehow decided to deny his own work on his deathbed, it wouldn't change the validity of the theory. It wouldn't change the evidence. It wouldn't change the support. It wouldn't change the reality.

And yet, they keep dragging that old lie out as though it could possibly mean anything even if true. The ultimate in wishful thinking.


41 posted on 01/22/2006 1:32:59 PM PST by highball ("I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have." -- Thomas Jefferson)
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To: mlc9852
I just prefer to consider all possibilities.

Really? I've never noticed you giving 10 seconds open-minded consideration of evolution. Just the same old same old every time.

42 posted on 01/22/2006 1:55:20 PM PST by Thatcherite (More abrasive blackguard than SeaLion or ModernMan)
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To: highball
And yet, they keep dragging that old lie out as though it [Darwin's deathbed recantation] could possibly mean anything even if true.

That's because they don't have the first clue what science is. They imagine that "Darwinism" is a religion that relies on nothing but Darwin's "revelations" (plus a few bogus fossils like Piltdown Man). That's how they see it. Looking at things that way, if Darwin had denied evolution, that would cause his followers to doubt their "faith." An analogy would be if Moses had, on his deathbed, confessed that he made up the story about getting the Ten Commandments from God.

Alas for the creationists, Darwin's work isn't theology; it's science. It relies on objectively verifiable data. Therefore his personal recantation wouldn't mean anything -- even if he actually had lost his marbles at the end and reverted to creationism. Just as Galileo's actual recantation doesn't change anything about the evidence for the solar system.

43 posted on 01/22/2006 1:57:37 PM PST by PatrickHenry (Virtual Ignore for trolls, lunatics, dotards, scolds, & incurable ignoramuses.)
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To: Thatcherite
I highly doubt humans descended from ape-like creatures. I'm open to everything else.
44 posted on 01/22/2006 1:58:31 PM PST by mlc9852
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To: mlc9852
I highly doubt humans descended from ape-like creatures. I'm open to everything else.

Everything else? eg...

A 4.5 billion year old earth?

A 14 billion year old universe?

No global flood in the last several-hundred million years?

No global ecology saved by 8 people on an ark?

The common descent of all life on earth *except* the human race?

Are you open to all of those propositions?

45 posted on 01/22/2006 2:01:27 PM PST by Thatcherite (More abrasive blackguard than SeaLion or ModernMan)
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To: Thatcherite

A 4.5 billion year old earth?

Yes - maybe + - a billion here or there

A 14 billion year old universe?

Yes - probably older

No global flood in the last several-hundred million years?

Will wait and see if Noah's ark is discovered

No global ecology saved by 8 people on an ark?

Not sure what you mean by global ecology

But what I believe doesn't affect anyone else. Humans have intelligence and common sense and we can arrive at different conclusions.

The common descent of all life on earth *except* the human race?

No problem with the common descent of species.


46 posted on 01/22/2006 2:06:18 PM PST by mlc9852
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To: mlc9852

I think what he means by "global ecology" is the fact that if there was a global flood as the story tells, all the life on earth would have arisen from the specimens contained on the arc.

That's why I never understood why Adam and Eve were such a big deal - if the stories are true, we're as much children of Noah as we are children of Adam, no? ;-)

In any case, there's no evidence for it. In fact, speciation would seem to discount any notion of a global flood in the last several million years.


47 posted on 01/22/2006 2:13:16 PM PST by highball ("I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have." -- Thomas Jefferson)
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To: highball
"In fact, speciation would seem to discount any notion of a global flood in the last several million years."

There have been many local floods that scientists agree on - what would be the difference?
48 posted on 01/22/2006 2:18:48 PM PST by mlc9852
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To: PatrickHenry

I wonder if John Gould is any kin to the late Stephen J. Gould.


49 posted on 01/22/2006 2:55:04 PM PST by Virginia-American
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To: Virginia-American
Donno. I found a few websites that mention them both, but there's no mention that they're related.
50 posted on 01/22/2006 3:03:09 PM PST by PatrickHenry (Virtual Ignore for trolls, lunatics, dotards, scolds, & incurable ignoramuses.)
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To: PatrickHenry

As always you have provided a good article for thought, and throughout the thread, have also provided valuable links for further reading...

Many thanks...


51 posted on 01/22/2006 3:49:20 PM PST by andysandmikesmom
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To: mlc9852
Not sure what you mean by global ecology

"global" (a.) - worldwide

"ecology" (n) - a system of interacting plants and animals in a particular environment

52 posted on 01/22/2006 4:33:33 PM PST by Oztrich Boy (Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering)
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To: Oztrich Boy

I am not sure about vegetation. I'll have to read up on what affects a flood would have.


53 posted on 01/22/2006 4:50:31 PM PST by mlc9852
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To: mlc9852

54 posted on 01/22/2006 5:03:06 PM PST by Oztrich Boy (Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering)
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To: mlc9852
"I am not sure about vegetation. I'll have to read up on what affects a flood would have."

Assuming a global flood measured in months (which I do not believe BTW), there would be many plant extinctions, but representative species of most major groups would survive as seeds. There would be a major shakeup for a number of reasons. Many seeds would be transported to new regions, established forests that previously smothered the competition would be cleared and potentially colonized by new species etc. It would seem that spore bearing plants would be hit the hardest as spores on the whole are not nearly as durable.
55 posted on 01/22/2006 5:08:38 PM PST by ndt
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To: Oztrich Boy

Salinization would only be a problem if the water evaporated rather then got sucked up by the mouth of God as would be assumed by a flood myth.


56 posted on 01/22/2006 5:10:48 PM PST by ndt
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To: ndt

If spores were in the air and floating, seems they could have ended up spread out quite a distance.


57 posted on 01/22/2006 5:18:05 PM PST by mlc9852
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To: ndt

I don't believe the Bible says that the flood waters got sucked up by the mouth of God. What version is that in?


58 posted on 01/22/2006 5:19:05 PM PST by mlc9852
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To: Virginia-American

No, they're not related. Stephen Gould was the grandson of Hungarian-Jewish immigrants.


59 posted on 01/22/2006 5:42:56 PM PST by RightWingAtheist (Creationism Is Not Conservative!)
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To: mlc9852
"If spores were in the air and floating, seems they could have ended up spread out quite a distance."

True, but most spore would not survive being in or on the water for that long. They are very prone to fungal attack.
60 posted on 01/22/2006 5:59:40 PM PST by ndt
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