Re: [asa] Opposing Anti-Evolution

>
> I'm not sure I understand what you mean when you say "there is no
> "progress" or "improving" in any absolute sense." [detected by evolutionary
> biology]
>
> Take a look at the link.
> *Microcephalin*, a Gene Regulating Brain Size, Continues to Evolve
> Adaptively in Humans
>
Biology can tell us that brain size has increased greatly in hominids. It
can't tell us if this is good or bad, just that it is different. Having
bigger brains (to the extent that this reflects intellectual capacity and
not just body size, etc.) has advantages in some situations (e.g., figuring
out something complicated) and disadvantages in others (e.g., getting
curious about something dangerous). Horses and many other mammals have
changed by decreasing the number of toes and running on tiptoe rather than
on the whole foot, but I wouldn't progress very fast if I amputated most of
my toes and tried to run on the remainder. I think some of the ichthyosaurs
and/or plesiosaurs changed by increasing the number of digits (within a
paddle-shaped limb), further illustrating the problem of equating one
particular evolutionary change with "progress".

The principle is illustrated well in Prince Caspian. Governor Gumpas claims
that the money from the slave trade is necessary for "progress". Caspian
claims that this "progress" is more properly called "Going Bad."

Taking a scientific principle other than evolution may help illustrate the
point. Gravity tells us that masses tend to attract each other. However, a
book on my shelf does not become better by falling to the floor, and I
certainly cannot invoke gravity as a moral imperative for me to drop heavy
things off high places. Yet people are believed when they make equally
silly claims invoking evolution.

  --
> Dr. David Campbell
> 425 Scientific Collections
> University of Alabama
> "I think of my happy condition, surrounded by acres of clams"
>

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Received on Thu Jul 13 13:33:33 2006