Intelligent Design: The Four Theories Of Challenging Evolution

Also, support is gaining that Archaeopteryx was not in fact the first bird, but instead a descendent of an earlier bird ancestor that had developed along a different pathway and actually represents an evolutionary dead end.

This chapter was consumed of arguments trying to answer how the universe was created, is there a god, and is god the one who created the world we live in and everything it offers, and what if god wasn’t the creature of the universe, does god exist at all? The argument of design stated that everything had to have been created by an intelligent designer. It argued that earths wonderful features could not have just happed out of the blue, they had to have had an intelligent designer, they had to have been created by god. The Best-Explanation Argument stated that intelligent design was much more reliable than pure chance. The Same- Evidence Argument stated that the universe is made up of parts that work together to accomplish something, so we can conclude that the universe was created by an intelligent designer. The Natural selection theory was

Fossils provide a unique view into the history of life by showing the forms and features of life in the past. Fossils tell us how species have changed across long periods of the Earth’s history. For instance, in 1998, scientists found a fossil showing an animal at the transition from sea creature to land creature. This tetrapod had a hand-like fin, confirming a prediction of evolutionary biology. Though the fossil record does not include every plant and animal that ever lived, it provides substantial evidence for the common descent of life via evolution. The fossil record is a remarkable gift for the study of nature. That is why most of the evidence for evolution comes from the fossil record. Fossils show how much, or how little, organisms have changed over time. One of the problems with

The study of science is defined as that which deals with the workings of the physical world we are able to observe and measure. The origin of life, however, is a topic that science has long grappled with, despite the impossibility of observing or proving any origins theory in a strictly scientific manner. Today, the widely accepted theory of life’s beginning is the theory of Evolution by mutation and natural selection, or Neo-Darwinism. Most people in our modern society accept this theory at face value because it is popular with the majority of scientists, but it must always be taken into account that our origins cannot be proven scientifically and that, in fact, the theory of Evolution is not the only or even the most logical theory

The argument has been going on for years and years. Should schools be allowed to teach evolution without teaching creationism? The courts have ruled, the answer is no, the theory of creationism cannot be included in a public school’s academic curriculum. With the court’s decision, it has been made clear there is no place for faith based theories to be taught in our public schools. What if there was a different approach that took God out of the equation? Public high schools should allow a course in intelligent design to be included in the curriculum as a way of teaching both evolution and creationism without violating the separation of church and state. This is certainly easier said than done.

From both the title of the chapter and the introduction by Dr. Shubin, this chapter begins with a focus on teeth. Because the function of teeth is to break down food before it enters the esophagus, the different shapes of teeth can represent many different things about the organism it belongs to including what type of eater it was (carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore). Teeth are the hardest tissue (not bone) in the human body and therefore fossilize well. As Dr. Shubin stated in chapter one, there must be many points that permit a fossil to make any kind of scientific conclusion. Obviously, the state of their presence is important, so the fact that teeth preserve well allows for them to be great specimens for analysis. Dr. Shubin and his team analyzed fossilized teeth in areas as different as Nova Scotia and the Arizona desert. Studying different fossils in these diverse regions allowed the team to see that mammalian and reptilian teeth are very different. For example, mammalian teeth differ from organism to organism to fit with the organisms need (Cheetahs that eat only meat will have different teeth than deer who are herbivores) and are replaced only once in the lifetime of the organism while reptilian teeth are usually sharp and are constantly replaced if damaged. These differences allowed scientists to characterize fossils as either a reptile or a mammal. Similar to Tiktaalik discussed in chapter one, the discovery of fossils that were part reptile and part mammal allowed the researchers to see that mammals evolved from reptiles, and further supported the theory of evolution. Further studies yielded even more

Paley’s assumption influenced scientists to assume that God designed nature thus, assuming intelligent design to be implemented by laws. Subsequently, the Charles Darwin hypothesis explain his assumption on the problem of evil as well, design in nature and with the natural selection clarified adaptation arguing that, everything that result from designed laws. In 1986, Meyer review suggested that, messages conveyed within DNA cell specified intelligence arguing to have originated from an intelligent agent. With this regard, the innovation of DNA cells merely outlined the supernaturalism and metaphysical naturalism.

The first bird is debated to be the Archaeopteryx, discovered in Germany, believed to be 145 million years old. It resembled a crow-sized animal with feathers. If the feathers were not found, it would have been identified as a small dinosaur. It did however have a wishbone, found in birds, and it had bird like feet.

Subclass – Archeorinthes –*Fossil birds (Jurassic birds of Mesozoic Age). *Flight feathers present. *Long tail without a pygostyle. *Carpals and metacarpals free. *Abdominal ribs present. *Hand reduced to three digits.

Fossil Record are a good way to show the evolution process. They provide scientist with snapshots of the past that, when assembled, illustrate a panorama of

In the science of paleontology, the history of life is studied. Paleontologists study fossils to learn the past ecologies, evolution, and the origins of humans. In order to understand the processes that have led to both the origination and destruction of organisms since life began, paleontologists incorporate both scientific knowledge and studies. Fossil findings are critically important for confirming predictions of evolution theory. Of the many discoveries that are made yearly to add depth to the understanding of evolution, an example is a recent discovery of a creature they named Tiktaalik. The Tiktaalik was uncovered to be a transitional animal between shallow-water fishes and limbed animals. The creature supports the idea that it emerged from both mammals and reptiles, suggesting that the two are related. These findings support prediction of evolution, contradicting the belief that God

In terms of Intelligent Design, it is clear that this is not a Science. Intelligent Design can fall under the category of pseudoscience for many reasons. One of which is because it meets Alan Blum’s criteria for pseudoscience. Throughout the whole field of Intelligent Design, there is really no legitimate evidence that can lead to Intelligent Design being accurate. Number three of Blum’s criteria for identifying something as pseudoscience is “By convincing the audience that the results are legitimate science.” (Saindon, 2014). Throughout this point from his criteria, he outlines the points that “there are other ways of convincing an audience that the results are legitimate science, especially if the audience is

The fossil record is evidence of evolution. Fossils are often fingerprints of evolution. They help scientists track how species evolved

In discussions of intelligent design, one controversial issue has been whether intelligent design was conjured up using science or religion. On the one hand, John G West argues that it was theorized with science. On the other hand, the editorial staff of the New Scientist contends that intelligent design was based off of religion. I concur with the latter. I believe that intelligent design was made on the back of religion.

When thinking about the origin of life, there are two main points one can come to, Intelligent Design or Natural Process (Ken Ham, 2008). “According to the former view, supernatural intervention was essential for the creation of life; according to the latter, living organisms could form spontaneously—for example, from the mud of the Nile” (Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2006). Creation can be defined as the original bringing into existence of the universe by God (“Creation”, n.d.). Intelligent design can be defined as “certain features” (Ken Ham, 2008). Intelligent Design can also be explained by finding features of the earth and explaining them by an intelligent cause ("Intelligent Design", n.d.). Creationism usually starts with religious