Evolution explains everything...

[_Nephi]

So, what do you think evolution does NOT explain in terms of humans relating to each other?

I'm not really sure if evolution explains all of human dynamics or if it even "attempts" to do so. I see it more like a process that makes sense when we look at the way life has unfolded on our earth.

I think that many people take evolution out of context, and try to apply it where it was not applied. Like evolution cannot explain such things as certain emotions, or even how emotions came to be to begin with. Evolution does not explain how life began to begin with (though sometimes some tend to apply it as such). The danger I see saying that "evolution explains everything" is that the statement is too simple, and taken out of context, some will apply evolution to things it doesn't explain.

Please do not take me out of context, either. I am a firm believer in evolution, just that I think pop culture should take time to actually read what evolution is and what science says it explains, and try not to overextend it... Hope that helps to understand what I am saying.

[_The Nehor]

While I believe evolution may have played a part in God's design and it does have evidence and make sense too often I hear that we'll have more proof soon or these gaps will be explained in time coming from the mouths of proponents of the theory.

Supporting propositions with unfound but to be found evidence is not unlike what the worst of Book of Mormon Apologists do.

It's possible that new evidence could turn the whole thing on it's head. In fact given the history of science in general when has any theory that seemed sound and just needed more time to prove ever turned out to be right? When it was right it was often right for the wrong rationale. I'm not saying that around the corner we'll find God in the machine but I do think putting your faith (not your belief) in what may turn out to be a passing fad like humours or geocentrism may lead to some serious reversals later on. Every generation thinks that the previous generations were all wrong but at last this time we've got some rock-solid certainty. What's so special about us?

[_Roger Morrison]

Hi Nehor, you asked:

What's so special about us?

WE are here NOW! To use or abuse our time in space. Probably some of each as have others in their 'time'. There seems little doubt in my mind, as i have experienced things in my 70+ years, that "...here-a-little...line upon line..." etal is THE way humanity advances. Seeking...to finding...applying, or ignoring to our benefit or detriment.

Why certain of us tend to either--individually or grouped--is a most interesting study/speculation. It was said, "...can't be saved in ignorance..." This fits into the "No-truer-words" file, regardless of 'who-said-that?'... I think most here know its author. Irrelevant... Knowledge (applied) is key to the locks of ignorance, prejudice, fear, tribalism, ritual dependency, audacity and religious bigotry that declares divine unction.

Evolution of physical species is not the same, in my mind, as the evolution of humanity. Which i am expounding :-) here... Warm regards, Roger

[_Mercury]

Like evolution cannot explain such things as certain emotions, or even how emotions came to be to begin with.

Evolution can be used to explain emotion. It can explain most of human and animal behavior. To say otherwise ignores the mountain of research done by evolutionary biologists, behavioral psychologists and neurologists among many other fields and professions.

[_Nephi]

Like evolution cannot explain such things as certain emotions, or even how emotions came to be to begin with.

Evolution can be used to explain emotion. It can explain most of human and animal behavior. To say otherwise ignores the mountain of research done by evolutionary biologists, behavioral psychologists and neurologists among many other fields and professions.

Reference please.

[_Quantumwave]

Hey Ya'll...

Here is my attempt to get some new discussion going! :-)

Is there anything that evolution does not explain about our world? I suppose we don't get the reason for the universe but I'm thinking more about human life and how we live in the world.

in my opinion, evolution explains pretty much everything from the difficulties in marriage, to the "temptations" we sometimes feel, to the reason we act unkindly towards others, to our obsessions, to the creation of societies, various cultural phenomenon, etc. etc. etc.

What do you think? Can you think of things evolution does NOT explain?

Thanks for any thoughts or insights or opinions,

~dancer~

Hi TD,

It seems evolution is evident everywhere. It is most evident in the physical development of plants and animals made apparent by the fossil series, morphology and molecular biology, but evolution also shows up in intellectual advancement. Intellectual evolution is tied to the physical through brain development which enables intelligence to progress. Intellectual evolution is evident in the use of primitive tools by early man, leading ultimately to writing, printing, mechanized food production, medical advances, telecommunications, transportation and the computerized manufacturing and information processing we have today. The human intellect is now on the brink of scientifically validating the realms of matter and energy that exist beyond the capability of our physical cognition.

Does all this evolution portend spiritual evolution?

[_Mercury]

Like evolution cannot explain such things as certain emotions, or even how emotions came to be to begin with.

Evolution can be used to explain emotion. It can explain most of human and animal behavior. To say otherwise ignores the mountain of research done by evolutionary biologists, behavioral psychologists and neurologists among many other fields and professions.

Reference please.

you haves the burden of proof, not me

[_The Nehor]

WE are here NOW! To use or abuse our time in space. Probably some of each as have others in their 'time'. There seems little doubt in my mind, as I have experienced things in my 70+ years, that "...here-a-little...line upon line..." etal is THE way humanity advances. Seeking...to finding...applying, or ignoring to our benefit or detriment.

Why certain of us tend to either--individually or grouped--is a most interesting study/speculation. It was said, "...can't be saved in ignorance..." This fits into the "No-truer-words" file, regardless of 'who-said-that?'... I think most here know its author. Irrelevant... Knowledge (applied) is key to the locks of ignorance, prejudice, fear, tribalism, ritual dependency, audacity and religious bigotry that declares divine unction.

Evolution of physical species is not the same, in my mind, as the evolution of humanity. Which I am expounding :-) here... Warm regards, Roger

I agree with the sentiment and think we should spend our time learning however it's safer to have a sense of humor about the whole thing. I have little doubt our grandchildren will find our scientific state to be hopelessly primitive and a great deal of it to be wrong. Taking it seriously and continuing to hold to it will make the attendants at the Rest Home nervous. :)

[_Nephi]

Like evolution cannot explain such things as certain emotions, or even how emotions came to be to begin with.

Evolution can be used to explain emotion. It can explain most of human and animal behavior. To say otherwise ignores the mountain of research done by evolutionary biologists, behavioral psychologists and neurologists among many other fields and professions.

Reference please.

you haves the burden of proof, not me

What? You are the one claiming that evolution explains emotions. I am saying it does not. Want my references? Okay. I have no links or references whereby emotions are explained by evolution. Thanks. That was easy.

[_Mercury]

Like evolution cannot explain such things as certain emotions, or even how emotions came to be to begin with.

Evolution can be used to explain emotion. It can explain most of human and animal behavior. To say otherwise ignores the mountain of research done by evolutionary biologists, behavioral psychologists and neurologists among many other fields and professions.

Reference please.

you haves the burden of proof, not me

What? You are the one claiming that evolution explains emotions. I am saying it does not. Want my references? Okay. I have no links or references whereby emotions are explained by evolution. Thanks. That was easy.

You have a problem Nephi, and that is that you believe that what you think automatically becomes true. This si why you believe in Mormonism, why you take stock in psychoactive drugs and why you thought Phish could actually be entertaining.

Individuals such as yourself delude their interpretation of experiences into the interpretation they wish so as to make a pathetic life easier to accept. Are you pathetic? Quite possibly.

All of this being said, you have no proof that in the long term outlook that Evolution demands, emotions are not a byproduct of that process. This was the statement you have the burden of proof to provide. Not just because you stated it first but because you do not hold a majority opinion. Evolution Trump's most of your silly assertions and it will continue to do so. If you want to find coroborating evidence put down the pipe and use google if you want evidence.

Lazy people like you make boards boring places because you wont even do any research. you EXPECT evidence to always be glaring because in your mind, all you need is the warm fuzzies to feel that something is true. I am sure I will be telling you to go to hell in the future several times.

http://www.biopsychiatry.com/emoevo.html

Furthermore:

The psychology side of the evolutionary psychological approach to the emotions is largely centered on the theories of several American psychologists. The first of these was William James. According to James, "Instinctive reactions and emotional expressions thus shade imperceptibly into each other. Every object that excites an instinct excites an emotion as well," (7). In other words James proposed that an a stimulus from the outside environment would create an internal physiological reaction as well as an external reaction/expression. Thus, emotion is the feeling of both the physiological and behavioral processes (1). Several years later, a Danish physician by the name of Carl Lange constricted James' original theory to state that emotion is simply the perception of physiological changes taking place internally. The two theorists were clumped together, and their ideas are referred to as the James-Lange theory. Much like Darwin's claims, the James-Lange theory faced serious criticism. Walter B. Cannon published research on animals whose internal organs were separated from the nervous system yet continued to display emotional expression (1). These three scientists theories form the basis of the psychological view of the emotions.

Of course, you robably do not accept these because they contradict your tantrum. Grow the hell up and learn how to do your own research. Maybe you just might change your opinions instead of being a jackass defending them until everyone proves you wrong.