re: #232 UncleRancher

Wow! I did not mean to set off a firestorm like this. First permit me to remove the word “dogma” from my question. It was not put in there to insult anyone, but rather as a perception thing, or observation that not all “science” has been proven true and like global warming, the many followers treat the teachings more as a matter of faith and belief than as a testable and provable issue. Yes, we can observe the effects of genetic mutation, and we can see in wheat breeding for instance that new varieties can be obtained by selective removal of specimens with undesirable characteristic. So in that sense we have proven the science of evolution to a satisfactory level. Wheat breeders also recognize that genetic characteristics appear not because the genes are new but because they were switched on or off, both states residing in the genetic makeup from the beginning. So, was the characteristic evolved, or was it created and waiting only to be discovered? As in my original comment, I don’t propose an answer, I only bring the question. Obviously there are many here who don’t want to hear the question but don’t mind downdinging the questioner.

In true, good science, all questions are explored and accepted or rejected on the basis of observation. Experimental design is directed to finding fact. When finally proven beyond any doubt the theories are accepted as laws. You get Nobel prizes for breaking these kinds of laws.

I know the answer, other scientists know the answer, you don’t. That’s why you cling to this stupid idea of creationism, you’re ignorant.

First, I really don’t care if the average person takes evolution on “faith”. That they don’t understand the mechanisms behind it doesn’t reduce the fact that scientists do, and that there has been mountains of evidence gathered in its favor and NONE for ID. I don’t expect the average person to understand the concept of general relativity or quantum mechanics or even how gravity really works, BUT THEY WORK ALL THE SAME. The ignorance of the average person, which is quite high, does not change the reality of these theories.

Your belief that theories become laws in science demonstrates the scope of your ignorance. It is beyond measure. That is not what happens in science. They stay theories.

As to the wheat, of course some of it is, yet not all of it, is caused by genes turning on and off. This actually supports evolution. It is easier for evolution to work with pre-existing materials than to develop totally new ones. So, if a beneficial adaptation can result from simply activating or deactivating an existing gene sequence, then that is usually the path it takes. That is why you see the GENETIC STRUCTURE of DINOSAURS in modern day birds. That is why birds, even though they have no teeth, and almost no tail at all to speak of, have the genetic ability to grow them.

We have DONE this. We have turned certain genes on and off in bird embryos to have them grow longer tails, instead of stopping at the 3-4 bones they usually stop at, and to grow TEETH, something they never do. Yes, it took millions of years for these developments, but we can trace them using DNA and science. I know it’s amazing how once you stop asking stupidly ignorant questions and ignoring the answers, how science has actually tackled all these long ago, but don’t fret, one day, you won’t get it. You’ll just keep your head in the sand.