Everyone's already heard all about Darwinius Masillae the 47 million year old primate fossil. While I agree with scientists that the find is incredible, particularly in its age and completeness, I have to agree with PZ Myers on this one. Incredible as the find may be, its not a missing link, and there really aren't any missing links. We already know pretty clearly that evolution happened. Its obvious when looking at even partial evidence. This find doesn't make or break the ToE, it simply adds to the growing list of transitional forms that creationists pretend don't exist.
I've said it before, but I'm no scientist. I simply find this subject fascinating, mostly due to the denialism and the recalcitrant idiocy of the fundy camp. Frankly though, I get far too frustrated with "teh stoopid". I mean, working on these people and trying to get them to understand that their claims about science and whatnot are wrong and ludicrous is completely a waste of time. They don't understand because they don't want to. We make concessions regarding the fact that we don't claim to have absolute knowledge god doesn't exist etc, and they will always twist it around into a claim of something its not. The cognitive dissonance is so harsh it hurts. So, I'm not sure I'll be dealing directly with the tools on their own blogs anymore, but that doesn't mean I'm done here.
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No kidding. I totally agree. Still, maybe it'll convince a few skeptics. I hate it when theists tell me "evolution is just a 'theory'." I'm like, "yeah, a CONFIRMED theory!" And lets not equivocate between a confirmed scientific theory and a hypothesis people. It really gets me going. lol
ReplyDeleteOh they never quit on that "its just a theory" line. That one got old after one time. Oh, yeah, evolution's "just a theory" and your god is "just a myth."
ReplyDeleteWell then why is it still called a 'theory'? You know; conjecture, speculation, a guess!
ReplyDeleteIt has never been proven, otherwise it would have graduated to fact by now.
Yadda yadda yadda.
Darwinius is just another cog in the machine, another relative on the family tree - no more important or special than any other. Except for the fact that it is a young 'un (with both sets of teeth) and it's 95% complete.
Science still has a long way to go if it wants to compete with religion in the PR world.