What is evolution and how do we know it's right?

[Autodidact]

This thread was started in response to HaLi, to talk about what the Theory of Evolution (ToE) is and how science knows that it is correct.

[Autodidact]

OK HaLi let's establish some basics. If you doubt anything I post, I will be happy to provide well-recognized scientific sources to support them.

The Theory of Evolution (ToE) is a specific scientific theory in a specific field, Biology. It explains how we get such a diversity of different kinds of organisms on earth, and why they are so well-adapted to their environments, and that is all.

It says nothing about:

• The origin of the universe,
  Whether there is a God,
  Morality,
  The origin of life

and many other things.

However, the questions it answers are very important and broad, which is why it is considered one of the most important theories in the history of science.

[Athiest-420]

From my understanding, evolution is a theory describing how life changes over many generations. We don't know it is right, it is only a theory. But based on everything we currently know, i think it is the best explanation for how humans/animals could come from a universal common ancestor. There is actual evidence to support this theory, whereas there is none to support christianity.

[Autodidact]

It also helps to understand what a theory is. In science, the word "theory" does not mean "guess," or "something we're not sure of." It means a complete explanation of an entire set of phenomena and observations, which we are as sure of as we can be in science. For example, we have theories of gravity, atoms, electricity and so forth. That is the sense in which evolution is a theory.

Evolution is also a fact, meaning that we can observe it. The theory, as opposed to fact, of evolution, is an explanation for what we observe.

[Divine Insight]

This thread was started in response to HaLi, to talk about what the Theory of Evolution (ToE) is and how science knows that it is correct.

I'd like to comment on a couple things here. Mainly on the difference between "Evolution" and the "Theory of Evolution"

You've entitled the thread, "What is evolution and how do we know it's right?"

Well, to me, evolution is the fact that things evolve from lesser complexity to greater complexity over time. We have observed and confirmed that we live in an entire universe that is evolving and we can indeed speak to the topic of the evolution of the universe as a whole. We call that Cosmology.

Astrophysicist have also described the evolution of stars, galaxies, solar systems and even the planets. All of those facts come from actual observations of the universe and its contents as well as the application of the mathematical laws of physics and chemistry, etc.

We now know that we live in a universe that is continuing to evolve at this very moment.

However, I imagine that you are probably concerned with a very tiny part of that evolution. In other words, I imagine that you'd probably like to discuss the evolution of life on planet Earth.

The evolution of biological life.

Well, in that respect we need to look at what was known historically. Originally nothing was known or understood. Mankind looked around and started asking "How did we get here?" Without having a good "theory" (i.e. explanation), they started to create superstitious creation myths imagining that they had been created by some unseen higher life form they called "God".

That itself was a "Theory". You could call it "The Theory of God".

The evidence seemed strong at first because men couldn't explain anything. Mountains were exploding via extremely powerful forces that only a "God" could have possible created. Disease was a mystery and must have been a "curse from the God". In fact, men started to believe that the Gods were the cause of everything theycouldn't explain.

But over time men evolved and become more sophisticated in their ability to think and reason, etc. They soon discovered explanations for just about everything they had ever attributed to the gods.

In fact, today about the only two things left that they haven't been able to fully explain are the birth of the universe itself, and how seemingly inorganic stuff could not only become organic, but also begin to think, experience, and become conscious of its very own existence and surroundings.

None the less, this evidently happened through a process of evolution. That much is a fact, (whether gods are involved or not).

It's crystal clear that no God just miraculously created a modern day type of man.

That never happened. In fact, religious people often ask "Where are the missing links?". Well duh? They are everywhere!

We were at one time non-technological cavemen. We are today a highly evolved technological society. Clearly humanity has evolved. If you were to suddenly be placed in a tribe of ancient cavemen you would suddenly recognize precisely who the "missing links" are. They are your ancient relatives.

You wouldn't recognize them as being the same species as yourself. You'd think you had just been transported to the "Planet of the Apes". To you they would appear as "Talking Apes". In fact, you wouldn't even understand a word they were grunting. All you'd see is that they can apparently talk to each other but can't communicate with you very well.

The "Theory of Evolution" they came to be the name of the theory that explains how all this factual truth evolved.

It's not the other way around. The fact of evolution is the fact of life. The theory of evolution is simply are attempt at explaining it. Kind of like the theory of gods were our ancestors attempt to explain why mountains explode and spew molten rock everywhere with godlike POWER.

Those theories seem to "work" because it was easy to imagine an invisible God doing magical things.

But when it came down to actually showing evidence for the gods, no one has to this very day ever been able to show the slightest evidence for any such gods.

So now we now better than to pretend that "the gods did it", and we have learned that if we wish to truly understand things, it's much better to recognize from factual evidence that things do evolve in all aspects of this universe and that is where true understanding can be had.

And it's panned out. We understand more about genetics, disease, and all manner of biological phenomenon in terms of evolution. However, if we had stuck with the mindset of "The gods did it", we wouldn't understand anything.

So the theory of evolution has panned out and has proven to be very accurate, whereas the theory of gods hasn't paid off at all, ever.

In fact, today, we've come to realize that a 'theory of gods' isn't even a valid theory unless someone can come up with evidence for the gods. And thus far, no one has been able to even remotely come close to doing that.


A "Theory of Evolution" works and produces productive useful results that pans out in terms of medicine and technology.

A "Theory of Gods" doesn't work and produces no useful results of any kind whatsoever. In fact, it tells us nothing. All it amounts to is basically a statement that we have no clue what's going on.

But that simply isn't true. We do have a clue, and the clue is evolution.

[Athiest-420]

i believe in evolution as much as i do gravity.

[HaLi8993]

Autodidact

Who dictates the theory of Evolution??

[Apoapsis]

Autodidact

Who dictates the theory of Evolution??

I hope there are no objections if I jump in here.

Nobody "dictates" the theory of evolution, nor is there anywhere you can go to see "it" written down all in one place. It is instead the consensus opinion of the scientists currently working in the field, and the body of work leading up to that opinion. That body of work is documented in the literature, usually arranged such that breakthrough papers are published in magazines such as Nature, Science, or PNAS, and the more detailed papers in a wide variety of publications such as The Journal of Evolutionary Biology. Most scientists don't even distinguish evolution from biology.

As an aside, we are much more likely to see the theory of gravity overthrown in our lifetimes than the theory of evolution.

[Filthy Tugboat]

Autodidact

Who dictates the theory of Evolution??

Technically nobody dictates the theory of evolution, the theory itself evolved as our understanding of evolution evolved and it occurred with many different groups of people and with many different scientific revelations. What is generally accepted as true with evolution and largely supported by the scientific community goes through rigorous testing and verification by many different groups.

[Autodidact]

Divine Insight:

I disagree with something in your post. Evolution is not the theory that God did not create things; that is called atheism. Evolution is correct whether or not God created all things. Science is now about who, but about how. Evolution tells us how, if God created all things, He created the various organisms on earth. If God did not, then it explains how they got here without God. Science is about the natural world only.

It does have some implications for how you think about God; it tells you, for example, that He did not magically poof two of each creature into existence 6000 years ago, but it does not assert that there is no God.

For that reason, I find it helpful, when talking with a theist who is not familiar with ToE, to proceed on the assumption that God does exist and created all things, so that we can move on to talk about how, that is, about ToE.