Did the moon landing bring evolutionary insights?

CMI ^ | July 21, 2009 | Lita Cosner

[GodGunsGuts]

21 July marks the 40-year anniversary of the first landing on the moon. In 1969, Neil Armstrong took the first steps on the moon, a major achievement of space exploration. Apollo 11 was followed by five other moon landings which led to a better understanding of the composition and geology of the moon.

However, in this Darwin Bicentennial year, Professor Martin Ward, who is head of Physics at Durham University, made this statement (emphasis added):

“Apart from the sheer wonder of seeing on live TV grainy images of man on the moon, many people might ask ‘what has the moon ever done for us?’ There are superficial justifications for visiting our nearest neighbour, one being that space technology saw the advent of non-stick frying pans. However, the Apollo programme also pushed forward computer technology and the miniaturisation of electronics which benefit our lives today. The deepest justification for visiting the moon, though, is that many astronomers now believe it may have played a crucial role in the evolution of life on Earth. Information gained from moon rock samples, and experiments set up on the lunar surface, have given us new insights into the make-up and evolution of the moon and hence our own origins.”

Ward does not explain in what way the understanding of the makeup of the moon has affected evolutionary theory and the evolutionist explanation for human origins, though it is possible to guess at what he meant. But as CMI has shown before, the moon is in reality a huge problem for evolution and instead makes sense within a biblical framework....

[GodGunsGuts]

ping!

[Texas Eagle]

Did the moon landing bring evolutionary insights?

I don't know. Did Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin have tails before the landing and no tails after they returned to earth?

[Frantzie]

No - De-Evolutions after 1969 moon landing and at the end of Reagan’s last term it is all downhill. Devolving like DEVO predicted.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

This is utter nonsense. At the time the Earth was believed to be hit by another very big astral body, Earth was a smoldering cinder in space. The importance of this, not to evolution, but to life itself, is that it made Earth *bigger*. That is, big enough not just for life to begin, but for life to *continue*. If Earth were smaller, it would be unlikely to maintain life. It says nothing about how that life got started.

That is, the silly argument is “Did God use one lump of clay to make Earth, or two?”

Hardly what I would call an “Earth shattering” argument.

[Caipirabob]

Did the moon landing bring evolutionary insights?

Here's an insight: Most single-celled organisms are more intelligent than Whoopie Goldberg and their presence more tolerable.

[Larry Lucido]

Don’t know, but the reading of Genesis by the Apollo 8 astronauts was powerful.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Don’t know, but the reading of Genesis by the Apollo 8 astronauts was powerful.

Dude, hadn't those guys heard of separation of church and state! What they did was totally illegal!1!!11!!eleventy!

[Captain Beyond]

It gave us insights to the geology of the Moon, it’s formation, and it’s make up but to say the Moon landing proves evolution is quite a stretch.

I am glad we did it and hope we continue to explore space. It showed what we as an American culture can do when we really put our minds to it. The technological breakthroughs and the inspiration of the accomplishment to us as an people alone made up for the cost. Has NASA made mistakes yes but going to the Moon was not one of them.

[stormer]

If I may... There are two very significant aspect of the Earth/Moon system that may have played a vital role in the development of life on Earth. First, a consequence of the collision that formed the system, is the axial tilt of the Earth. This is responsible for the seasonal changes that we all experience. The second is the tidal effect created by the Earth/Moon/Sun system; while the sun is much larger, the moon's gravitational pull is primarily responsible for daily tidal fluctuations. These situations combine to present the environmental variability that drives the process of genetic selection, which in turn is one of the motivators for the changes in allele frequency that leads to speciation.

[itsLUCKY2B]

to the moon...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8157368.stm

[UCANSEE2]

These situations combine to present the environmental variability that drives the process of genetic selection, which in turn is one of the motivators for the changes in allele frequency that leads to speciation.

Or to put it more simply, "God created the heavens and the Earth".

[Captain Beyond]

Thanks for the link. Great article. :)

[count-your-change]

There's lots of theories about how the moon formed, none too good, but clearly the moon is ideally suited as a reflector to dominate the night as its surface is covered with small glass beads.

What the moon has to do with evolution, I can't guess, unless someone wants to argue that looking up at it got animals on their hind legs to walk. Hmmm.
Maybe a study and a grant in that idea.

[stormer]

Your words, not mine. I don't require supernatural explanations when a natural one will do.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[stormer]

See post #10.

[Hoplite]

Meh.

The word "evolution" appears to have only one meaning in some minds, excluding the possibility of its being used to describe processes of change occurring in non-living systems or bodies, thereby confusing the discussion.

[count-your-change]

See post # 14