Valguarnera | Mon 20-Aug-07 10:02 AM |
Member since 04th Mar 2003
6904 posts
| |
|
#1288, "RE: About evolution"
|
I re-read The Origin of Species a few years ago, and it's astonishing how powerful the work is, given its publication in 1859. I have a shelf and a half of books on the topic, mostly popular science works and a few textbooks, and it's easier to find questionable statements in a book by a modern author like Dawkins or Gould than Darwin. The fact that he wrote Origin without knowing of even Mendelian genetics/DNA, or any of a host of subsequent geological discoveries makes it that much more amazing.
In my opinion, Origin is the most important and influential work of non-fiction ever written. I believe it was Gould who wrote (may have been citing someone else) that the two most crucial blows to humanity's collective hubris were Copernicus teaching us that our world was not the center of existence, and Darwin teaching us that our species is not the center of our world.
As for the "It's only a theory" crowd, they'd do better questioning the theory of gravity. (Or learning what the word 'theory' means applied to science.) We're definitely wrong about gravity at some level (at very large or very small scales, our current theories make predictions incompatible with observations), but I'm not aware of any serious challenges to Darwin.
valguarnera@carrionfields.com
|
|
|
About evolution
[View all] , Nightgaunt_, Mon 20-Aug-07 09:43 AM
Final thoughts.,
Eskelian,
22-Aug-07 08:25 AM, #72
RE: Final thoughts.,
Nightgaunt_,
22-Aug-07 12:30 PM, #76
RE: Final thoughts.,
Eskelian,
22-Aug-07 01:00 PM, #78
I've got to tell you:,
Daevryn,
22-Aug-07 01:16 PM, #79
RE: I've got to tell you:,
Eskelian,
22-Aug-07 01:22 PM, #80
RE: I've got to tell you:,
Tac,
22-Aug-07 01:37 PM, #83
RE: I've got to tell you:,
Valguarnera,
22-Aug-07 03:06 PM, #86
RE: I've got to tell you:,
Eskelian,
22-Aug-07 09:51 PM, #90
Actually,
Nightgaunt_,
23-Aug-07 01:49 AM, #93
RE: Actually,
Eskelian,
23-Aug-07 08:17 AM, #99
RE: Actually,
Nightgaunt_,
23-Aug-07 09:42 AM, #104
RE: I've got to tell you:,
Valguarnera,
23-Aug-07 07:25 AM, #95
RE: I've got to tell you:,
Eskelian,
22-Aug-07 09:44 PM, #89
RE: I've got to tell you:,
Nightgaunt_,
23-Aug-07 09:50 AM, #105
RE: I've got to tell you:,
Daevryn,
22-Aug-07 03:16 PM, #87
RE: I've got to tell you:,
Eskelian,
22-Aug-07 09:40 PM, #88
RE: I've got to tell you:,
Daevryn,
22-Aug-07 11:04 PM, #92
RE: I've got to tell you:,
Eskelian,
23-Aug-07 08:01 AM, #97
RE: I've got to tell you:,
Daevryn,
23-Aug-07 08:11 AM, #98
RE: I've got to tell you:,
Eskelian,
23-Aug-07 08:25 AM, #100
RE: I've got to tell you:,
Daevryn,
23-Aug-07 08:52 AM, #101
If you read something you believe to be true,
Leprechaun,
23-Aug-07 09:11 AM, #102
RE: Book Larnin,
Valguarnera,
23-Aug-07 09:12 AM, #103
RE: Book Larnin,
Eskelian,
23-Aug-07 01:18 PM, #106
RE: Book Larnin,
Valguarnera,
23-Aug-07 02:03 PM, #107
RE: Book Larnin,
Eskelian,
03-Sep-07 03:09 PM, #112
Water is wet ...,
Leprechaun,
23-Aug-07 03:18 AM, #94
RE: Final thoughts.,
Nightgaunt_,
22-Aug-07 01:23 PM, #81
RE: Final thoughts.,
Eskelian,
22-Aug-07 01:32 PM, #82
RE: Final thoughts.,
Nightgaunt_,
22-Aug-07 01:48 PM, #84
The problematic of the issue,
DurNominator,
26-Aug-07 10:18 PM, #108
I feel that this is on topic,
DurNominator,
12-Sep-07 04:10 PM, #117
RE: About evolution,
Tac,
20-Aug-07 04:52 PM, #9
RE: About evolution,
Daevryn,
20-Aug-07 10:02 PM, #13
RE: About evolution,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 08:47 AM, #18
RE: About evolution,
Nightgaunt_,
21-Aug-07 09:02 AM, #21
RE: About evolution,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 09:06 AM, #23
And the bottom line...,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 09:16 AM, #25
RE: And the bottom line...,
Valguarnera,
21-Aug-07 12:31 PM, #44
RE: And the bottom line...,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 12:37 PM, #47
Silly?,
GinGa,
22-Aug-07 08:47 AM, #73
Sorta side-track, but ...,
Leprechaun,
21-Aug-07 10:10 AM, #29
RE: About evolution,
Daevryn,
21-Aug-07 09:38 AM, #28
RE: About evolution,
Isildur,
20-Aug-07 11:25 AM, #4
RE: About evolution,
Nightgaunt_,
20-Aug-07 01:29 PM, #6
RE: About evolution,
Isildur,
20-Aug-07 05:11 PM, #10
RE: About evolution,
Nightgaunt_,
21-Aug-07 08:54 AM, #20
RE: About evolution,
Isildur,
21-Aug-07 11:03 AM, #38
Do you consider it possible to prove God exits?,
Tac,
21-Aug-07 11:53 AM, #40
RE: Do you consider it possible to prove God exits?,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 12:31 PM, #43
RE: Do you consider it possible to prove God exits?,
Tac,
21-Aug-07 12:33 PM, #45
RE: Do you consider it possible to prove God exits?,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 12:38 PM, #48
Seriously?,
Tac,
21-Aug-07 12:50 PM, #53
RE: Seriously?,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 01:12 PM, #56
RE: Seriously?,
Tac,
21-Aug-07 02:09 PM, #58
RE: Seriously?,
Eskelian,
22-Aug-07 08:49 AM, #74
RE: Do you consider it possible to prove God exits?,
Isildur,
21-Aug-07 03:26 PM, #61
Yes, very much so,
Leprechaun,
20-Aug-07 10:11 AM, #2
RE: Mutation rates,
Valguarnera,
20-Aug-07 10:43 AM, #3
Hey cool, thanks for the info nt,
Leprechaun,
20-Aug-07 12:10 PM, #5
On the subject of mutation: Cancer,
Leprechaun,
21-Aug-07 06:54 AM, #15
RE: On the subject of mutation: Cancer,
Valguarnera,
21-Aug-07 12:40 PM, #49
A small addition,
GinGa,
22-Aug-07 10:12 AM, #75
RE: About evolution,
Valguarnera,
20-Aug-07 10:02 AM #1
RE: About evolution,
Eskelian,
20-Aug-07 03:49 PM, #7
RE: About evolution,
Nightgaunt_,
20-Aug-07 04:10 PM, #8
RE: About evolution,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 08:43 AM, #17
RE: Irreducible complexity,
Valguarnera,
20-Aug-07 08:50 PM, #11
RE: Irreducible complexity,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 08:37 AM, #16
About random,
Nightgaunt_,
21-Aug-07 08:52 AM, #19
RE: About random,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 09:20 AM, #24
RE: About random,
Nightgaunt_,
21-Aug-07 09:22 AM, #26
RE: About random,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 09:29 AM, #27
RE: About random,
Nightgaunt_,
21-Aug-07 09:45 AM, #30
RE: About evolution,
Daevryn,
20-Aug-07 09:49 PM, #12
Basically any theory is valid unless proven to be incor...,
Leprechaun,
21-Aug-07 05:19 AM, #14
RE: Basically any theory is valid unless proven to be i...,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 09:03 AM, #22
RE: Basically any theory is valid unless proven to be i...,
Valguarnera,
21-Aug-07 09:50 AM, #31
RE: Basically any theory is valid unless proven to be i...,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 10:26 AM, #32
RE: Basically any theory is valid unless proven to be i...,
Nightgaunt_,
21-Aug-07 10:18 AM, #33
RE: Basically any theory is valid unless proven to be i...,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 10:29 AM, #34
RE: Basically any theory is valid unless proven to be i...,
Nightgaunt_,
21-Aug-07 10:39 AM, #36
RE: Basically any theory is valid unless proven to be i...,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 10:47 AM, #37
RE: Basically any theory is valid unless proven to be i...,
Valguarnera,
21-Aug-07 12:22 PM, #42
RE: Basically any theory is valid unless proven to be i...,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 12:35 PM, #46
RE: Basically any theory is valid unless proven to be i...,
Valguarnera,
21-Aug-07 12:41 PM, #50
RE: Basically any theory is valid unless proven to be i...,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 12:44 PM, #51
RE: Basically any theory is valid unless proven to be i...,
Valguarnera,
21-Aug-07 12:47 PM, #52
RE: Basically any theory is valid unless proven to be i...,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 12:51 PM, #54
RE: Solipsism:,
Valguarnera,
21-Aug-07 02:13 PM, #59
RE: Solipsism:,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 05:02 PM, #63
RE: Solipsism:,
Valguarnera,
22-Aug-07 07:43 AM, #68
RE: Basically any theory is valid unless proven to be i...,
Daevryn,
21-Aug-07 01:10 PM, #55
RE: Basically any theory is valid unless proven to be i...,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 01:34 PM, #57
RE: Basically any theory is valid unless proven to be i...,
Nightgaunt_,
21-Aug-07 02:14 PM, #60
RE: Basically any theory is valid unless proven to be i...,
Eskelian,
21-Aug-07 04:57 PM, #62
RE: Basically any theory is valid unless proven to be i...,
Nightgaunt_,
22-Aug-07 04:22 AM, #65
RE: Observables,
Valguarnera,
22-Aug-07 07:35 AM, #67
RE: Observables,
Eskelian,
22-Aug-07 08:06 AM, #70
RE: Observables,
Valguarnera,
22-Aug-07 08:14 AM, #71
RE: Observables,
Eskelian,
22-Aug-07 12:49 PM, #77
RE: Observables,
Valguarnera,
22-Aug-07 02:57 PM, #85
RE: Observables,
Eskelian,
22-Aug-07 10:27 PM, #91
RE: Observables,
Valguarnera,
23-Aug-07 07:24 AM, #96
RE: Observables,
DurNominator,
27-Aug-07 12:33 AM, #110
RE: Observables,
Eskelian,
27-Aug-07 10:32 AM, #111
Then don't,
DurNominator,
03-Sep-07 03:42 PM, #113
RE: Then don't,
Eskelian,
03-Sep-07 10:10 PM, #114
Re: Trolling,
Daevryn,
03-Sep-07 10:41 PM, #115
RE: Re: Trolling,
Tac,
04-Sep-07 08:34 AM, #116
RE: Re: Trolling,
Eskelian,
18-Sep-07 10:14 PM, #118
RE: Observables,
DurNominator,
26-Aug-07 11:46 PM, #109
RE: Basically any theory is valid unless proven to be i...,
Eskelian,
22-Aug-07 08:00 AM, #69
Sure but txt,
Larcat,
21-Aug-07 10:39 AM, #35
RE: Sure but txt,
Tac,
21-Aug-07 11:50 AM, #39
RE: Sure but txt,
Valguarnera,
21-Aug-07 12:03 PM, #41
RE: About evolution,
Straklaw,
22-Aug-07 03:33 AM, #64
RE: Mathematics,
Valguarnera,
22-Aug-07 07:23 AM, #66
| |
|