Re: Evolution is alive and well
Moorad Alexanian (alexanian@UNCWIL.EDU)
Mon, 12 Oct 1998 09:44:45 -0500 (EST)
At 10:31 AM 10/9/98 -0700, sschaff@SLAC.Stanford.EDU wrote:
>Moorad wrote:
>
>> Christians ought to realize that evolutionary theory cannot be proven false
>> since it cannot be falsified. [...]
>
>I have seen you make this statement several times, and I am puzzled by
>it. I can think of several kinds of observation that _I_ think would
>falsify evolution (by which I mean common descent of all life forms on
>the planet), at least in anything remotely like its present form. And
>the opponents of evolution certainly think it can be falsified, since
>they spend a good deal of ink trying to do precisely that. Could you
>explain why you think it is unfalsifiable?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Steve Schaffner
>sschaff@slac.stanford.edu
Dear Steve,
At the first sight of the failure of gradualism, Gould thought of punctuated
equilibrium. In physics that is called phenomenology not theory. I have no
objections against good phenomenology but I think one should be careful in
the usage of the term "theory." I suppose that one day we will know the
truth about the history of man. By then, however, we will all be dead and
the damage caused by pushing false ideas into a philosophy of life would
have done irreparable damage to many.
Moorad