Evolution Intuitive?

[Kilgore Trout]

Does the concept of evolution make sense to you intuitively? Ignoring specific details about biology, fossils, etc., does the concept of many small changes resulting in significant changes over extended periods, ring true to you?

 

[Storm]

Yeppers.

 

[Man of Faith]

No, it is not something I would expect in nature.

 

[ragordon168]

No, it is not something I would expect in nature.

what about costal erosion? over hunting a species? both of these things are a composite effect, little things over time that have caused big events so why not the same for genetics?

 

[Valjean]

How is the idea that thousands of small changes can produce a big change anything but obvious?

It's Relativity that's counter-intuitive, yet nobody seems to deny the reality of atomic power.

 

[Caladan]

Does the concept of evolution make sense to you intuitively? Ignoring specific details about biology, fossils, etc., does the concept of many small changes resulting in significant changes over extended periods, ring true to you?

What are the alternatives? thinking that man was created in a single epic event from the earth, and that the woman was created from his rib?
evolution has no competition with sitting right with me.

 

[Buttercup]

What are the alternatives? thinking that man was created in a single epic event from the earth, and that the woman was created from his rib?
evolution has no competition with sitting right with me.

Ha! Great answer and the same reason evolution makes the most sense to me as well. I haven't been able to hold onto another explanation for the creation of our world that makes more sense. That is until someone comes up with a believable alien encounter scenario. I've got my fingers crossed for that one.

 

[Valjean]

The only alternative, frankly, is magic -- action without mechanism.
Fundies are actually positing magic as a reasonable explanation.

 

[Gunfingers]

Once you understand the concept of inherited traits, it becomes fairly obvious that the fact that i look different from my parents, who look different than their parents, that many generations down the road will be someone who looks radically different from either of us.

So yeah, it's pretty intuitive.

 

[droog1]

No, it is not something I would expect in nature.

But you would expect nature to do magic instead?

Yes, total stranger, the concept of many small changes over time resulting in larger changes most certainly rings true with me. Intuitively and intellectually.

 

[Man of Faith]

what about costal erosion? over hunting a species? both of these things are a composite effect, little things over time that have caused big events so why not the same for genetics?

I expect that in nature because I see it. I don't see Darwinism so I don't expect it. If I walk one block or across the country I am still me.

 

[fantome profane]

What is or what is not “intuitive” to us will vary depending on our education and experiences. That being said I think there are elements of evolutionary theory that are counter intuitive for most people. The idea that complexity can come from simplicity simply by selecting from a series of random variations is counter intuitive.

But many valid and well-proven scientific concepts are counter intuitive.

 

[MSizer]

I expect that in nature because I see it. I don't see Darwinism so I don't expect it. If I walk one block or across the country I am still me.

I think Darwin admitted just before dying that he was wrong about the part when he said walking across the country changes you into someone else.

 

[FlyingTeaPot]

MSizer would know! He even looks like Darwin from certain angles!

 

[MSizer]

What is or what is not “intuitive” to us will vary depending on our education and experiences. That being said I think there are elements of evolutionary theory that are counter intuitive for most people. The idea that complexity can come from simplicity simply by selecting from a series of random variations is counter intuitive.

But many valid and well-proven scientific concepts are counter intuitive.

But think of "Rome wasn't built in a day". That seems to me to suggest that people see how complexity does originate from simplicity, and that simple components are compiled until complexity is the result.

It seems to me that it should be more intuitive to people than it seems to be.

 

[Gunfingers]

I expect that in nature because I see it. I don't see Darwinism so I don't expect it. If I walk one block or across the country I am still me.

Does this qualify for the dishonesty thread, do ya think?

 

[MSizer]

Does this qualify for the dishonesty thread, do ya think?

Creationism, dishonesty, I generally consider the terms interchangable.

 

[Valjean]

I don't see language changing, either, but any linguist can describe how French and Spanish developed from Latin less than 2,000 years ago.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I don't see language changing, either, but any linguist can describe how French and Spanish developed from Latin less than 2,000 years ago.

Oh that's right, the whole Tower of Babel thing. Didn't that happen more than 2000 years ago though?

 

[Man of Faith]

I think Darwin admitted just before dying that he was wrong about the part when he said walking across the country changes you into someone else.

I suspect if Darwin was alive today he would admit a lot of things about his theory.