Freedomain Radio

I found this in Derren Brown blog and want to share.

Richard Dawkins clears up the misunderstanding of Evolution that is all too common: If we descended from Chimpanzees, then why are there still Chimpanzees? Dawkins explains that we DID NOT descend from Chimpanzees—we both share a common ancestor.

I’ve posted this in response to the last comments around the Dawkins video where he’s “pointing at some blue lines” and related comments – well there’s a reason why there are the lines. Here’s 500 generations every SECOND backed up by actual fossil evidence – shoved in to a computer and animated together. It’s fantastic to watch.

From Australopithecus to Homo sapiens in 5 minutes.

We’re nicking all this from the Atheist Media blog of recent so thanks to them for this as it’s a great example of the solid proof we have of evolution as a solid theory. Having lived with a palaeontologist for the last 3 months it’s refreshing to not hear him scream “do you want me to show you all 9000 bits of evidence in a row to show you there are no gaps at all?” every time I try and wind him up with a bit of creationist “theory”. Apparently this is quite recent that we’ve filled in all the holes but was always assumed (it’s actually more than 9000 if you count every frame it’s more like 112000 generations).

Richard Dawkins - Comparing the Human and Chimpanzee Genomes

Richard Dawkins shows just how similar the Human and Chimpanzee genomes really are, with the help of a great visual from the University of Nebraska Museum.

 Absolutely amazing stuff. I love it!

Why aren't white people in South Africa getting darker skin (without mating with dark people)?

There is no evidense we can see todaay of one species giving birth to a new species. Evolution is suppose to be gradual , so why the distinctness of a supposed predecessor-successor species in our fossil records that show the changes are not gradual and suggest that there is some form of control over the process of "evolution" of physical bodies. Noone can prove any theory as to why the dinosaurs died off.

I am going to take a serious look at "forbidden archeology". It is suggested that there are "modern" human skeletons that have been recovered next to fossils from periods of time going back millions (perhaps even billions) of years.

I think it is pointless to make "theories" about the past...

MrPractical:

Why aren't white people in South Africa getting darker skin (without mating with dark people)?

I think they're probably getting tanned pretty good. These things happen over longer timescales than white people have been living there. Plus, with modern technology there's not going to be as much selective pressure on attributes like skin color that there used to be.

MrPractical:

There is no evidense we can see todaay of one species giving birth to a new species.

Evidence:

A new study finds that a change in a single gene has sent two closely related bird populations on their way to becoming two distinct species. The study, published in the August issue of the American Naturalist, is one of only a few to investigate the specific genetic changes that drive two populations toward speciation.

Speciation, the process by which different populations of the same species split into separate species, is central to evolution. But it's notoriously hard to observe in action. This study, led by biologist J. Albert Uy of Syracuse University, captures two populations of monarch flycatcher birds just as they arrive at that evolutionary crossroads.

MrPractical:

Evolution is suppose to be gradual , so why the distinctness of a supposed predecessor-successor species in our fossil records

A circumstance that would allow a creature's remains to be fossilized is fairly rare, compared to the number of creatures that have ever been. Therefore we tend to get snapshots of creatures that lived hundreds or thousands of generations apart. It's hard to become a fossil.

MrPractical:

I think it is pointless to make "theories" about the past...

Why is that?

Getting a tan is something your body does on its own, without changes in DNA. Still, they aren't turning brown/black. It isn't a fact that being black/brown gives you an advantage in warm weather or a disadvantage in cold weather.

Have the birds actually became separate species yet? Did they document the birds with the "original" genes giving birth to birds that have the "new" set? How do we know how long the distinct "single gene" carrying birds have been in existence? The gene was only discovered when it someone looked into it.

You just showed an example of why fossils are not the key to finding out the absolute truth of what had been happening so far into the past. There is a good possibility that there has been much going on in the past that can not be accounted for.

I think it is pointless to theorize about the past because 1) there is no way we can know what went on for sure 2) it isn't doing anything to help us today.

MrPractical:

I think it is pointless to theorize about the past because 1) there is no way we can know what went on for sure 2) it isn't doing anything to help us today.

In that case, they should just let murderers and others go free since we can't be sure about anything.

Alan Chapman:

MrPractical:

I think it is pointless to theorize about the past because 1) there is no way we can know what went on for sure 2) it isn't doing anything to help us today.

In that case, they should just let murderers and others go free since we can't be sure about anything.

We might as well take and imprison the Marine Corp and other people involved in Iraq and Afghanistan for invading other people's land and aggressively killing foreign citizens. Unless, of course, they have a special right to kill other people.

Police officers that raid other people's homes should be put in prison if they killed occupants of private property.

If you believe in a stateless society, than you have to also believe that no one has a special right to punish other people.

I would prefer that a criminal come across somebody who has the will and the means of armed-resistence. The criminal would be truly stopped, unlike going to prison and being let back out to commit more crimes...

Suppose you come home to find your family killed. You would need to rely on the same kind of forensic science used in evolutionary biology to discover potential perpetrators.

The information gained from studying evolution assists in the production of vaccines, and it gives scientists insight into what to look for when searching for life on other planets.

Here is a great video explaining evolution. I also recommend subscribing to his channel. He has many fantastic videos.

Hahaha Stef...subtle

MrPractical:

Getting a tan is something your body does on its own, without changes in DNA. Still, they aren't turning brown/black. It isn't a fact that being black/brown gives you an advantage in warm weather or a disadvantage in cold weather.

I'm sure we could write volumes on this sort of thing, but it really isn't relevant to the broader question. All the lines of evidence are in agreement: species mutate and change over time. If you want to learn about the broader picture, I suggest Why Evolution is True. For a smaller time sink, you can listen to the Evolution 101 podcast, which deals mostly with genetics. This is for teachers, but is pretty good too.

This is up to you.

They see me trollin', they hatin'...

One more:

Richard Dawkins explains how microscopic algae called Diatoms uniquely evolved in Yellowstone Lake.

Victory for evolution in Texas

The Texas Board of Education has unanimously come down on the side of evolution. In 14-0* vote, the board today approved scientifically accurate high school biology textbook supplements from established mainstream publishers--and did not approve the creationist-backed supplements from International Databases, LLC.

Poll (from 2009): Majority Reject Evolution

Most Americans do not accept the theory of evolution. Instead, 51 percent of Americans say God created humans in their present form, and another three in 10 say that while humans evolved, God guided the process. Just 15 percent say humans evolved, and that God was not involved.

A hilarious, must-see parody: