Alex In Wonderland

Scientifc Dark Ages

I am not going to go into a debate with the likes of Ogre on the merits of Darwin's Theory of Evolution. You cannot argue with Creationists as their beliefs are anchored in the ecclesiastical and not in the realms of science and arguing points of faith is a most unsatisfying pastime.

We all know the basics of the Theory of Evolution. The one that most people refer to is the Survival of the Fittest, where a creature that has adapted to its environment more effectively than its competitors therefore resulting in dominance. There are other aspects that Darwin touched on (such as the ability of a creature to adapt to a specific niche and therefore bypass its competitors and that necessity dictates the evolutionary path of a creature - yes Ogre, the sponge did not develop certain characteristics because it never needed to develop them) have been shown to have a basis in truth because observations, fossil evidence and genetic study have shown it to be so.

Theories exist to be proven or disproved. They are a proposition of possibility based on factual evidence available and hypothesis. Much of physics, for example, is a similar thing and as the advancements of people like Hawkins in this area continue theories can continue to be proven, disproved, expanded upon or altered as necessary. Considering the level of sophistication we have achieved now, and then compare that to Darwin's resources available to him at the time of proposing his theories.

As I touched on in Harvey's comments there is a real danger that the US is entering a scientific dark age. Funding has been cut, America is no longer attracting the people to expand on their knowledge and then to share with with the wider world. It is almost as though there is a real fear of science and discovery. I remember not too long ago seeing on the BBC website pictures coming from the various space probles that have gone to Mars, Jupiter and Saturn and reading with awe and interest the discoveries that these have made. Has America lost its sense of wonder?

The name of Darwin will forever be written in the history books. I wonder how many Creationists will be remembered in a similar light.