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5614 |
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Date: December 14, 2014 at 23:01:33
From: dib, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Why is America (And this Board) So Dysfunctional? |
URL: Harvard Gazette |
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The entire article in the link is quoted below. It is a disgrace to our nation that our citizens are so ignorant of science. "The answer, Coyne said, is to address society’s ills so Americans live in a more secure and level society."
In other words, I think he is saying that social status is the primary reason why the US (and these boards) are so dysfunctional. There are a lot of intelligent people here, but it seems that most prefer to ignore science in lieu of delusion fermented by religion. Iow, ignorance feeding on ignorance. I have never been able to determine why that should be the case here. Dreams foretelling the future. Prayers healing the sick. Hearing and predicting earthquakes. Communicating with trees. Speaking to God. How could it get more ridiculous than that? Doesn't anyone here ever stop to question any of your false assumptions? Don't any of you ever look for evidence before you make your claims of having been in communication with God?
It would behoove y'all to spend some of your valuable time reading science books, rather than propagating scientific illiteracy on these boards.
Don't bother to tell me to leave. I'm gone again, but I hope that some of you might actually think about spending some of your time on credible scientific websites. It would be a great improvement in these boards. I know all you people love each other, but really, you can still do that even if you are more inclined to the reality of science, versus the stupidity of pseudoscience.
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“We should create a society that is more just, more equal, more caring,” Coyne said. “Regardless of how you feel about religion, I think that’s one thing we can all care about.'"
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"In America’s dysfunctional society, people need God more than Darwin.
That was the summation Wednesday of prominent evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne, a University of Chicago professor of ecology and evolution who has worked for years to counter creationists’ anti-evolution arguments.
Coyne, author of the 2009 book, “Why Evolution Is True,” cited surveys that indicate American acceptance of evolutionary theory is near the bottom among its peer nations. A 2006 survey showed that just 40 percent of Americans accepted the truth of the statement that “Human beings, as we know them, developed from earlier species of animals.” That was roughly half the number in France, Japan, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In fact, out of 34 countries, America’s acceptance of evolution was next to last, only ahead of Turkey.
Other surveys show that 40 percent of Americans believe God created humans as they are and that just 12 percent believe that evolution should be the only theory of how species originated that is taught in American science classrooms.
Coyne called the situation “a national embarrassment” and traced America’s low acceptance of evolution ultimately to a dysfunctional society, with high levels of income inequality, drug use, infant mortality, and other negative measures, relative to other industrialized democracies.
This social insecurity promotes high levels of belief in religion, whose tenets disagree with the central ideas of evolution, Coyne said. He cited a 2009 study that showed that the more dysfunctional a society, the higher its level of religious belief.
“If you live in a society that is dysfunctional and unhealthy, where people are doing better than you, you need solace from somewhere. You get it from religion,” Coyne said. “The thing that blocks acceptance of evolution in America is religion.”
In his talk, sponsored by the Harvard Museum of Natural History as part of its “Evolution Matters” lecture series, Coyne gave an outline of evolutionary theory along with specific examples that bolster its accuracy.
He addressed the common “it’s only a theory” argument by pointing out that the understanding of “theory” in everyday speech and in scientific terminology is different. Among scientists, a theory is not the same as a guess or a hypothesis. A scientific theory is an explanation of a natural phenomenon that is bolstered by data. With enough supporting data, a theory approaches fact. He compared the theory of evolution to “atomic theory” (the idea that matter is made up of atoms) and “germ theory” (which posits that diseases are caused by germs), both widely accepted as fact today.
The overall trend in the fossil record presents a strong argument for evolution, Coyne said. If evolution is true, one would expect to see more complex creatures evolving from simpler ones over long reaches of time, with ones most resembling today’s creatures found among most recent fossils, which is the case.
Other evidence in favor of evolution continues to mount, with scientists directly observing evolution in action for some 300 species and uncovering more and more transitional species in the fossil record. Birds have long been thought to have evolved from reptiles, because they share some characteristics and because reptiles are found much further back in the fossil record. In recent years, Coyne said, paleontologists have uncovered feathered dinosaurs, further bolstering the idea that birds evolved from reptiles. Another example is the fairly complete record of horse evolution from a smaller, many-toed relative to the large animal we know today that runs around on one large toe on each foot.
The evolution of whales and dolphins is another example. Scientists have long held that they descended from air-breathing land mammals, but that has been doubted by creationists because of the radical changes required in their body plans. Fossil evidence has slowly filled in the transitional species, Coyne said, until today there is a fairly complete record of what was a rapid transition over just 8 million years from four-legged land mammals to fluked and finned deep-diving whales.
More evidence comes from embryology, where vestiges from ancestral species still crop up. Dolphin embryos, for example, still bear rear leg buds, and human embryos develop a hairy lanugo coat, normally lost 36 weeks into gestation. Genetics also shows evolution’s traces, with inactive genes identified from precursor species. In humans, genes exist to manufacture vitamin C, something we, along with gorillas and chimpanzees, lost, presumably because of our ancestors’ fruit-rich diet. There are also genes for enough olfactory receptors that our sense of smell could rival that of dogs and cats. In both cases, the genes have been silenced.
“Our genome is a graveyard of dead genes,” Coyne said.
Despite this evidence, many Americans refuse to believe in evolution because they hold tightly to religious beliefs, most of which are taught in childhood well before young people learn of evolution, Coyne said. Three-quarters of Americans profess an absolute belief in God, and 63 percent believe in angels.
The problem with evolution from a religious point of view, Coyne said, is that it doesn’t just assail religious views of human origin, it also erodes the religious underpinnings of the idea that humans are somehow special, that our lives have purpose and meaning, and that we need to be moral. He cited another poll that asked Americans what their response would be if presented with a scientific fact that contradicted their religion. Sixty-four percent said they would reject fact in favor of faith.
The answer, Coyne said, is to address society’s ills so Americans live in a more secure and level society.
“We should create a society that is more just, more equal, more caring,” Coyne said. “Regardless of how you feel about religion, I think that’s one thing we can all care about.'"
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Responses:
[5632] [5633] [5617] [5619] [5630] [5631] [5623] [5624] [5618] [5615] [5616] |
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5632 |
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Date: December 17, 2014 at 18:43:09
From: Steve, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Why is America (And this Board) So Dysfunctional? |
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If you think your grandad was a Trilobite
That's just a crock of Darwin shite !
Your faith is great , hope your new guru works out for you.
But Jerry Springer may make more sense than Jerry Coyne.
Hearing Stephen Gould ,Harvard's latter day Darwin years back, bearer of the torch of evolution. I was disappointed that he didn't make any sense when he spoke.
Be well amigo
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[5633] |
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5633 |
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Date: December 17, 2014 at 21:08:57
From: dib, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Why is America (And this Board) So Dysfunctional? |
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You're fortunate to have heard Steven J. Gould even if you didn't understand a word he said. He operates on a level far above ordinary mortals. At his level, the meaning of words gets infinitely more exact while the meaning of the sentence devolves into a nebulous cloud that only a genius like Gould can comprehend. At least I understand "punctuated equilibrium", but that was decades ago.
You've got a good mind, Steve. My suggestion is that you quit trying to be clever; try instead for erudition.
Best of luck, compadre.
dib
PS: If you think God is going to save you, how are you ever going to find him, her, or it?
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5617 |
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Date: December 16, 2014 at 10:05:06
From: blindhog, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Why is America (And this Board) So Dysfunctional? |
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WOW! A disfunctional board? You are truly unaware of all that exists in the unseen world.
If people say they "hear" earthquakes, what probably is happening is the effect of huge, deep in the crust, rocks grinding against each other and causing a sort of wave length disturbance in the environment.
As far a talking to plants, just a few days ago on C2C, there was a scientist who added to the growing list of scientists who know plants, which are made of energy like everything else, can be affected by different types of music, even startling human sounds.
You sound like the ignorant ancients of the old world that thought that the world was flat because they couldn't see or know otherwise.
dib, I think it is you who is dysfunctional.
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Responses:
[5619] [5630] [5631] [5623] [5624] [5618] |
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5619 |
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Date: December 16, 2014 at 19:44:04
From: dib, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Why is America (And this Board) So Dysfunctional? |
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Blindhog, I am unfamiliar with your posts, and I wonder why you waited until I said I was leaving these boards to respond to my message. Considering you were not too bombastic, I will attempt to be civil to you. I never respond to your supporter KaySoDumb, because she hates me with a passioh, and has used a fake name below in an attack on me. She can stew in her own bile.
My comments inline:
>WOW! A disfunctional board? You are truly unaware of all that exists in the unseen world.
That statement reeks with pseudoscientific vibes, which I am sure you will enlighten me on shortly, as to exactly what you mean by the "unseen" world. I would hope you mean "microscopic" rather than "pseudoscientific", but I don't hold out much hope for that interpretation.
>If people say they "hear" earthquakes, what probably is happening is the effect of huge, deep in the crust, rocks grinding against each other and causing a sort of wave length disturbance in the environment.
No, that's incorrect. There is a person on these boards who claims she can "hear" earthquake precursors and predict earthquakes on that basis. Neither she nor anyone else has ever been able to establish any evidence whatsoever that she can do what she claims to be able to do. I will make it simple for you: If there are rocks "grinding against each other, etc", don't you think the seismologists would be able to pick up those "wave length disturbance in the environment"? Anyone can make false claims. Are you aware that I once beat Richard Dawkins in a debate over evolution because I proved that our ancestors were kangaroos and not monkeys? That's why we have pocketbooks, for gosh sakes.
>As far as talking to plants, just a few days ago on C2C,...
Too bad, blindhog, you lost me there. Why do you pseudoscientists love that hokey site so much? I know the reason, it's because you all want the think there is something magical out there that can help make your miserable existence more meaningful than it is in real life. There isn't; reality is all we got. All that pseudoscientific nonsense you are soaking up from C to C is rotting your brain, what's left of it.
If all you people would learn that living in the real world is much more interesting than dabbling in make believe like little children, you would have a much better, more adult outlook on life.
How did you feel when you read the link I posted that explained that you people turn to religion because you have nothing better to do with your lives? Iow, if your family was rich, you would have had a better education, and we would not be having this discussion.
>...there was a scientist who added to the growing list of scientists who know plants, which are made of energy like everything else, can be affected by different types of music, even startling human sounds.
Only pseudoscientists believe that claim, and it's easily disproven, but you people just want so hard to believe that plants are sentient, you don't bother to look for truth. Why read about plants in science books anyway, it's so boring reading that plants can't and don't respond to music, when it's so pretty to believe otherwise?
>You sound like the ignorant ancients of the old world that thought that the world was flat because they couldn't see or know otherwise.
Lol. I am always amused when the ignorant pseudoscientist attempts to label the scientist as ignorant of science.
>dib, I think it is you who is dysfunctional.
Lol. You have a right to your own opinion, and I couldn't care less, but I would hope that after all the time it took for me to write this message in an attempt to enlighten you, that you might take the time to actually consider that I might be right. Nah, I know there is no chance in hell of that.
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Responses:
[5630] [5631] [5623] [5624] |
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5630 |
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Date: December 17, 2014 at 11:12:19
From: blindhog, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Why is America (And this Board) So Dysfunctional? |
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Sorry, dib. My last statement still stands.
This board will be much better served with you no longer on it. We need intellect here, not more stupidity.
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[5631] |
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5631 |
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Date: December 17, 2014 at 12:30:24
From: dib, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Enjoy your delusions, Blindbat. (NT) |
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5623 |
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Date: December 17, 2014 at 06:13:27
From: JTRIV, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Why is America (And this Board) So Dysfunctional? |
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Hi dib,
> Blindhog, I am unfamiliar with your posts, and I wonder why you waited until I said I was leaving these
> boards to respond to my message.
LOL... come on dib. You say you are leaving these boards almost weekly. Unfortunately for everyone else you never do.
Cheers
Jim
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5624 |
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Date: December 17, 2014 at 10:11:01
From: dib, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Why is America (And this Board) So Dysfunctional? |
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I'm so happy that you got to use that passive aggressiveness you had stored up all this time.
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5618 |
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Date: December 16, 2014 at 14:29:07
From: kay.so.or, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Why is America (And this Board) So Dysfunctional? |
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5615 |
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Date: December 15, 2014 at 00:16:30
From: mr bopp, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Why is America (And this Board) So Dysfunctional? |
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because most "scientists" such as yourself have no social skills...
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Responses:
[5616] |
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5616 |
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Date: December 15, 2014 at 08:36:19
From: dib, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Why is America (And this Board) So Dysfunctional? |
URL: Science for kids and boppers. |
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Here you go, mr bopp, you can begin your scientific education with this link.
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