Evolution Is A Fact Or An Opinion?

Over the past few centuries, humans have been questioning and debating over what makes evolution true. In Jerry Coyne’s work, Why Evolution is True, he noted two kinds of evidence from Darwin’s theory of evolution. The first evidence includes the six testable predictions of evolution: evolution, gradualism, speciation, common-ancestry, natural selection, and nonselective mechanisms of evolutionary change. The second evidence that Coyne noted in his work is the retrodiction. In Coyne’s work, Why Evolution is True, a retrodiction is the facts and data that are not necessarily predicted by the theory of evolution but it makes sense only in the light of the theory of evolution. Retrodiction uses present theories to explain events that happens in the past. Since evolution is a slow process, theories could not be tested. Therefore, we explain the existence of vestigial structures and how humans share a common ancestor with fish through the theory of evolution. Throughout the text, examples of retrodiction are the imperfect adaptation of a panda’s thumb and gill slits in the beginning stages of a human embryo. Common ancestry is proven by the existence of fossils and these evidences proves that evolution is true.

Is “theory” a contradictory scientific term? Many people define “theory” as a set of unjustifiable propositions, whereas others believe a “theory” is a “coherent set of principles used to explain a class of phenomena” (Kingsolver 208). The contrasting interpretation of “theory” results from the fluctuating amount of information circulating on this term. Although the word “theory” is a prime example of how people interpret ideas distinctively, people can develop new insights on their previous ideas or thoughts once they gain more knowledge from books or experience. Barbara Kingsolver, a biologist, conveys in her essay, “A Fist in the Eye of God,” that humans are divided over the acceptance of evolution and the scientific understandings of

In its basic form, the theory of evolution has been confirmed so completely that most modern biologists consider evolution simply a fact (Mayr 1982). It states that environmental factors such as climate, disease, competition from other organisms, and availability of certain types of food will lead to the preferential survival and reproduction of

With the rise of modern science over the centuries came a vigorous attack on Christian theology; most universally recognized is Darwin’s theory of evolution. Although it has been taught throughout schools across the country since the 1960’s, recent legislature entitled “academic freedom” bills has encouraged skepticism of Darwin’s theory due to the inherent contradictions of it. Still, some people challenge Christianity on the basis of a lack of evidence, yet they’ll turn to theories of evolution which lack empirical support without enquiry.

Every since the publication of the Origins of Species in 1859, the theory of evolution has been generally accepted by scientists around the world, that is, until 1996 when Michael Behe published his book Darwin's Black Box, calling the theory of evolution into question. The theory of evolution states that individual single point mutations in DNA give rise to the development of new characteristics in species. If these new characteristics are advantageous for survival, then the genes are passed down to new generations. As these characteristics are accumulated, new species develop. However, while most scientists have accepted evolution as a scientific fact, they have yet to answer some basic fundamental questions about the process itself. Michael Behe points to this and proposes that the reason scientists do not yet have all the answers regarding the processes behind evolution is because they have failed to see the intelligent design that lies within it. The author asserts that the "data of biochemistry argues strongly that many molecular machines in the cell could not have arisen through a step-by-step process of natural selection"¦much of the molecular machinery in the cell is irreducibly complex." (Bohlin, 2000, p. 103)

Why Evolution is True Book Review A majority of the population falls prey to the idea of creationism and its relative, intelligent design, however these concept's when mentioned lack substantial evidence. Darwin’s theory of evolution by which life on earth evolved by natural selection, is vast and contains a variety of splendid scientific validation. Jerry Coyne the author of “Why Evolution is True” explains that despite Darwin’s lack of knowledge on DNA and genetics his original theory as stated in “The Origin”, are the fundamental blocks for the modern theory of evolution. The topic of evolution when discussed evokes much emotion, this is because Holy literature not only has been the law of the land for centuries but also serves as a road

There are diverse embodiments of counterfeit science, cheap science, and deviant science. Over time, mankind has seen the rise and fall of various scientific fields of study. However, none ever seem to vanish completely. Humanity’s views of the flat earth, astrology, crop circles, ancient astronauts, and perpetual motion continue to gain advocates even today. These are compelling paradigms of how human beings possess the ability to hold on to various forms of reasoning without any use of appurtenant evidence. With that being said, the matter of intelligent design and its counterparts, Darwinism, evolution and creationism, are noteworthy topics to discuss.

Why Evolution is True: Book Critique 1 In his book, Why Evolution is True, Jerry A. Coyne discusses the many forms of evidence that proves the Theory of Evolution. He discusses what evolution is and debunks many different ideas that people commonly have about evolution. Coyne also explains through humans, animals, and plants how evolution affects life today. Throughout the whole book, he compares and contrasts evolution with creationism and intelligent design.

In contrast, Gould logically lays out three facts to buttress his evolution stance. He states, “… we have abundant, direct, observational evidence of evolution in action, from both the field and the laboratory” (440). The other two: the imperfection of nature, and transitions in the fossil record, “…rest upon inference”, which is then explained to the reader (441).

I distinctly remember sitting in my 9th grade Biology class as Mr. Shorba projected the classic picture of an ape progressively evolving into a human, and explained to the class Darwin’s theory of evolution. However, being raised in a conservative Christian home, I did not listen to one word of the evolution lecture, as I had already made up my mind as to what I believed in. Although I still believe in creationism, my take on learning about evolution has drastically shifted as I have realized the importance of understanding this popular theory. In Jonathan Well’s book, Icons of Evolution: Science or Myth, he dissects well-known evolutionists arguments with explanations as to how they are falsifiable.

The word is now accepted to mean the change of nonliving chemicals into simple life-forms into more complex life-forms and finally into humans.” (Answers in Genesis 1). Despite the many claims that “evolution” simply means a change, scientifically speaking it means much more. Evolutionary ideals describe changes that allow scientists to date life on the earth to be 4.5 billion years, to trace the entire living population of every animal, insect, plant, virus, and bacteria back to one simple cell, and to conclude that the first cell supposedly came into being sporadically from a pool of organic molecules (Archean 1). Science cannot factually support evolutionary concepts because evolution cannot be tested; observation holds a critical role for experiments to take place, yet spontaneous creation of a cell has not recurred since the alleged first living cell created itself. Evolution cannot be proven, and therefore, the public school system should not teach evolution as fact, especially with no exposure to alternative concepts.

According to Stephen Jay Gould, American paleontologist and evolutionary biologist, "Facts are the world's data". He defines a theory as "Structures of ideas that explain and interpret facts". He argues that evolution is a fact and a theory as well. In agreement with Dr. Gould, biologist Richard Lenski explains that evolution can indeed be a fact. He states, "It is an incontrovertible fact that organisms have changed, or evolved, during the history of life on Earth". I find this to be a true statement. One way humans have evolved over time is our change in body size. We are now generally shorter, lighter and smaller boned than our ancestors were years ago. Evolution can also be characterized as a theory. This is because although it is a fact

The article, “A Matter of Scale,” urges the audience to observe the small and extraordinary components of the biosphere and acknowledge its genetic variations as explained by Darwin’s theory of evolution. However, Kelly’s essay, “Evolution: An Article of Faith,” considers Darwin’s theory as a “false religion” suppressing God’s ability to create the “work of intelligence.” (Evolution) The heated debate over the credibility of Darwin’s theory of evolution has led to the division of scientific and religious groups. Devoted, religious people discover two major flaws with Darwin’s theory of evolution regarding the inaccuracies of the fossil record and the contradicting phrase “survival of the fittest” that has passed on harmful mutations to next

I wrote this paper as a critique and personal reflection on the textbook Why Evolution Is True. The book is written by the respected biologist and evolutionist Jerry Coyne. He has a pure and simple, detached style of writing. He accents theory and doesn’t get imprisoned in numerous pragmatic facts. The goal of the book is to influence a sensible person on the reality of evolution, and to demonstration that Darwinism is the only probable explanation of biological evolution. Coyne does an outstanding job of covering virtually every aspect of evolution in a clear and concise manor. I ask the question, is evolution true? It contradicts accounts in the Bible and other religious writings, but I cannot understand why evolution is such a debated subject.

As soon as I found time, I got reading, exploring the arguments for and against evolution that Bill Nye, my childhood idol was seeing. As each chapter passed I grew more skeptical as to what was correct; I thought evolution was a factual science? I soon asked my mom what she believed about the controversy and got an answer that made perfect sense to me, but that I had never heard before. She said that she “sees the bible as a guide to life and how the earth was made, that evolution is a valid science, but God guided it and altered it as necessary.” This was when I knew that I wanted to explore the debate further, and the assignment of this paper, is the perfect opportunity.