Do you believe in human evolution?

A lot of people who don't believe in evolution don't actually have a good grasp on what evolution is. It's easy to not believe in something when you were taught it wrong.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by DarkLink2135

I don't, and I have a fairly good grasp on what it is. Which is exactly why I don't believe in it. There's too many logical fallacies, absolutely insane odds.

There are insane odds against winning the lottery but the lottery has been won. I'm just saying that arguing that poor odds prove a theory wrong when the result has already happened is silly.

Also no, you don't have a good grasp on evolution. I didn't say that you have to admit you have a poor education on the topic.

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We've never once witnesses a mutation to bring about a beneficial genetic change to a species,

Drug resistant bacteria.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by DarkLink2135

And the result hasn't necessarily already happened if evolution isn't true, so don't assume that it is.

The odds of life on Earth currently are 1 in 1.

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That isn't generating new genetic material. They don't evolve new material at all. All that is happening in these instances is that they "degenerate" and end up losing efficiency. Take killing off a staph infection, for instance. Some staph is still left behind - the ones producing lots of a "penicillin protector." However, these staph cells don't grow anywhere near as quickly as the ones that don't produce huge amounts of this drug. They aren't as efficient or fit. They find ways to resist the drug by turning on a switch that produces more of a chemical they already have. They stop producing a chemical that creates a cell wall, so that the drug ignores them.

There's no evidence to suggest they have generated new genetic information at all, and saying so is just jumping to conclusions without actually applying any science to the matter.

There is new genetic information, whatever is necessary to stop producing that chemical. Unless you believe that staph cells have consciousness.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by DarkLink2135

That's nothing more than a defensive cellular reaction to an invasive, destructive, element being introduced to their environment.

I guess I just don't understand, then. You say you have a good grasp on what evolution is, but then you go on to say that the only evolution that counts is when genetic material is added. You think that evolution is some sort of special action that a life form does. You argue that it's incredibly unlikely for life to exist at all, which is why evolution is unlikely. You confuse evolution with biogenesis. You think it's possible that some species are more evolved than others.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

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a less advanced species evolving via various natural forces into a more genetically advanced form - obviously requires the generation of new genetic material.

See, that's exactly what I'm talking about. You've convinced yourself that this is the only evolution that counts, and because you haven't found a suitable explanation of it on the internet you're convinced it doesn't work. It's less the flaws of the theory and more the flaws of your understanding, is what I'm trying to say.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by packrat

Is it not reasonable to focus on, and request an explanation for, an integral part of a theory which, as far as he is aware, has no explanation?

It's more reasonable than the number of commas in that sentence.

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Originally Posted by DarkLink2135

I choose not to believe it based on the incredible amount of complexity involved, and the literal impossibility of such things arriving via random mutations caused by background radiation.

Oh, now I understand the problem. It's not all that stuff you said about me twisting your words or not reading what you say at all.

Random mutations happen all the time without 'background radiation' having anything to do with it. Random mutations in skin cells is what causes the elderly to have wrinkles, and random mutations in other tissue causes cancer.

Background radiation. Wow.

Anyway, DarkLink, you did ask for evidence and to be educated. Why are you throwing a fit when education is presented to you? You should thank the kind man for his reading suggestions and continue to further educate yourself. To do anything else is tacky, really.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by a lurker

Cancer CAN be caused, among other things, by mutated genes, but we don't know, at least that I know, what causes them to mutate in all cases. Sometimes people are born with these mutated genes, sometimes not. I would certainly think that "background radiation" could lead to this. Too much UV radiation causes skin cancer.

Dude.... dude. Stop fronting. I set out to prove that people who don't believe in evolution have a poor grasp on evolution, and I've succeeded (based on case study) wildly. Not only do you not really know what evolution is, but your biology is pretty weak, and while we're at it you might want to work on your statistics as well.

And 'debating through links' is not what kinkymagic's doing. No, don't argue with me. This is not what you hope it is. Educate yourself and for christ's sake son. You tell me you only used 'background radiation' as an example and then you don't shut up about radiation causing wrinkles and cancer. Jesus christ, this isn't a debate, it's a slaughter fagdance man desperately hiding his willful ignorance.

Additional Spam:

Originally Posted by Ulysses

It was more of a retort to lurker actually, who for some reason appeared to pour scorn on the very notion that the radioactive substances we are exposed to and eat on a regular basis somehow would not affect our DNA.

I didn't say that. I mean, unless you're DarkLink2135's dupe, I really wasn't talking about that or about you.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by DarkLink2135

Case in point, you've been WRONG about damn near everything you have posted,

no.

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including wrinkles.

Although you're right here. I misthought; aging in general is caused by the gradual breakdown of cells, which cellular mutation is a part of. It wasn't just wrinkles and wrinkles aren't caused merely by cell breakdown.

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For some reason you have been absolutely convinced that YOU know the answers to life, the universe, and everything,

Fuck your Hitchhiker's reference, nerd.

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while the world's brightest minds don't know those answers for sure.

Here's this: I am convinced that you don't understand evolution properly. The world's brightest minds are also convinced of that (I asked them). Hey!

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If you don't agree with me, fine, but stop acting as though the entire evolutionary theory were proven fact.

Evolution as you understand the question is proven, son. You can't use the debates of professionals in the topic about extremely specific parts of evolutionary theory to say the jury's out on it.

At least creationists have faith and religion to explain themselves. You're worse, you're intellectually lazy.

Jam it back in, in the dark.