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Subject:
From:
Steven Allison-Bunnell <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 31 Jan 2005 13:44:36 -0700
Content-Type:
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I don't mean to be flip, but I find it odd that there is no equivalent of ID
in physics, even though may theories of physics are on far more speculative
ground than evolution is.

You don't much hear people going around saying that just because we can't
explain exactly how gravity works, the inverse square law is just a
hypothesis and should be labeled with a disclaimer. There is plenty of
mysticism among physicists, but it is precisely because those questions
stand unanswered that they are inspired to mysicism.

There is plenty of room to debate, discuss, and reconfigure our
understanding of how evolution works. But to say that it doesn't happen
(except on a micro level) doesn't allow for that discussion. It is a
discussion-ender. I agree that there's plenty we don't know. But how will we
figure it out if we stop asking the question?

I personally think that this whole thing is an unfortunate artifact of our
own rather fixed genetic makeup. Can you imagine a race of sentient (and
religious) polyploid plants that regularly exchange genetic material between
each other and other species via viruses and extravagant meiosis arguing
over the fixity of species? _That_ would become the new heresy! Because
human beings (and vertebrates in general) are not very genetically plastic,
we have trouble imagining the incredible genetic plasticity of many other
organisms.



On 1/31/05 12:56 PM, "Stephen Nowlin" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> On 1/31/05 11:18 AM, Joshua Steffen's electrons arrived as:
> 
>> If they are unscientific, present the concept along side those which are
>> deemed scientific. Show how these ideas are should not be accepted. As long
>> as
>> each side tries to use one-sided debates and does not openly discuss
>> definitions and concepts they we are all locked into our little box.


-- 
_____________________________________________________________
Steven Allison-Bunnell, PhD                              [log in to unmask]
Senior Producer & Writer                                  406-829-3876
Educational Web Adventures                             http://www.eduweb.com
Award-winning learning interactives about art, history, science & technology
_____________________________________________________________

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