Pheobe Debates The Theory of Evolution

Original scene from the show... Friends. ^ | NA | NA

[Mr.Atos]

I was just lisening to Medved debating Creationism with Athiests on the air. I found it interesting that while Medved argued his side quite effectively from the standpoint of faith, his opponents resorted to condescension and beliitled him with statements like, "when it rains, is that God crying?" I was reminded of the best (at least most amusing)debate that I have ever heard on the subject of Creationism vs Evolution, albeit a fictional setting. It occurred on the show, Friends of all places between the characters Pheobe (The Hippy) and Ross (The Paleontologist). It went like this...

Pheebs: Okay...it's very faint, but I can still sense him in the building...GO INTO THE LIGHT MR. HECKLES!!

Ross: Whoa, whoa, whoa. What, uh, you don't believe in evolution? Pheebs: Nah. Not really. Ross: You don't believe in evolution? Pheebs: I don't know. It's just, ya know, monkeys, Darwin, ya know, it's a, it's a nice story. I just think it's a little too easy.

Ross: Uh, excuse me. Evolution is not for you to buy, Phoebe. Evolution is scientific fact. Like, like, the air we breathe, like gravity... Pheebs: Uh, okay, don't get me started on gravity.

Ross: You uh, you don't believe in gravity? Pheebs: Well, it's not so much that ya know, like I don't *believe* in it, ya know. It's just...I don't know. Lately I get the feeling that I'm not so much being pulled down, as I am being pushed.

Ross: How can you NOT BELIEVE in evolution? Pheebs: [shrugs] I unh-huh...Look at this funky shirt!!

Ross: Well, there ya go. Pheebs: Huh. So now, the REAL question is: who put those fossils there, and why...?

Ross: OPPOSABLE THUMBS!! Without evolution, how do YOU explain OPPOSABLE THUMBS?!? Pheebs: Maybe the overlords needed them to steer their spacecrafts!

Pheebs: Uh-oh! Scary Scientist Man!

Pheebs: Okay, Ross? Could you just open your mind like, *this* much?? Okay? Now wasn't there a time when the brightest minds in the world believed that the Earth was flat? And up until what, like, fifty years ago, you all thought the atom was the smallest thing, until you split it open, and this like, whole mess o' crap came out! Now, are you telling me that you are so unbelievably arrogant that you can't admit that there's a teeny, tiny possibility that you could be wrong about this?!?

Pheebs: I can't believe you caved. Ross: What? Pheebs: You just ABANDONED your whole belief system! I mean, before, I didn't agree with you, but at least I respected you. Ross: But uh.. Pheebs: Yeah...how...how are you gonna go in to work tomorrow? How...how are you gonna face the other science guys? How...how are you gonna face yourself? Oh! [Ross runs away dejected] Pheebs: That was fun. So who's hungry?

[PatrickHenry]

I don't know how you maintain such a cheerful, loving attitude under the circumstances, but I do continue to marvel at it. When you've had three or four years experience concentrated in these evolution threads, like I have, it can really get to you. But the agreement should help. Except for a few who can't yet adjust, I think the agreement really is working. I suspect that in time almost everyone will come aboard.

[js1138]

That was interesting. what was 2662 about?

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you so very much for your kind words and for your continuing support for the agreement!

I do hope that, in the end, everyone will choose peace. Hugs!!!

[RadioAstronomer]

So therefore Alamo-Girl, I ask you to examine your actions in the light of your faith and your conscience before your adherence to your new friends leads you to eternal error.

Do you honestly believe that who you hang out with on a message board will determine the fate of your soul?

This was a very hurtful thing to post.

[RadioAstronomer]

However, I must confess that the big power blackout may have been my fault. I had a double precision overflow in the matrix inverter; this caused a vector interrupt which may have escaped out the power line. I don't know if it dissipated in NY or not

Is that what cause my encapsulated viterbulator to shift in frequency by 1/2000ths of a hertz for 6.82 seconds last night?

[RadioAstronomer]

That was interesting. what was 2662 about?

If you find out, let me know! LOL

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you so very much for coming to my defense, RadioAstronomer! Hugs!!!

Is that what cause my encapsulated viterbulator to shift in frequency by 1/2000ths of a hertz for 6.82 seconds last night?

Aha! I now suspect that Doctor Stochastic's vector interrupt caused an attenuation of harmonic distortion on power lines worldwide. (LOL!)

[VadeRetro]

BTW, have you ever stopped to consider what an entirely useless, toothless and silly threat that is? Don't take yourself too seriously.

Hah! You would wither and die without my attention.

[VadeRetro]

This was a very hurtful thing to post.

The only excuse for such a slop-bucket of abuse as 2619 would be if A-G had been similarly abusive to gore in preceding posts. Anyone who knows A-G knows that such is not the case. A look at the thread would fully confirm it in any event.

It's a completely unprovoked attack, full of completely unsupportable assertions.

A-G has discovered what any evo has known for years; Gore enjoys a license to abuse. His infinite flexibility in interpreting evidence to his convenience is all the justification he needs. By our tolerant amusement, he has been grandfathered in for so long that the moderators do not care. He is incapable of adjusting, whatever oath he may or may not sign.

[balrog666]

If you find out, let me know! LOL

Ditto.

[Aric2000]

Dittos for me, Good morning everyone!!

[Doctor Stochastic]

Probably a side effect. I can imagine that a positively ugly eigenvalue could really destablize your day.

[Doctor Stochastic]

I invented a new (Monte Carlo) procedure that convertes as 1/N**3. I named it Sedona because of the cubic convergence.

[longshadow]

Irrelevant NTT placemarker

[Alamo-Girl]

I love it when you do that! Now I get to go figure out what you just said. Please, no hints (yet...)

[Alamo-Girl]

Oops, I thought I had responded to your post and can see now that I did not. Sorry about that.

Thank you for once again coming to my defense! Hugs!!!

[Lurking Libertarian]

Thanks, A-G, for continuing to do a wonderful job!

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you so much for your vote of confidence! Hugs!

[Alamo-Girl]

Ok, I've tried and I must now give up and ask for your help!

I named it Sedona because of the cubic convergence.

Most everything I can find on Sedona either has to do with products (car, refrigerator, fishing reel, etc.) or a physical location in Arizona. The only candidate that smacked of "convergence" has to do with a crystal used in new age mysticism.

Ok, I give. What does Sedona have to do with cubic convergence.