tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5736821.post3026240073937282819..comments2023-08-08T04:19:26.974-07:00Comments on THE CALLADUS BLOG: Fresno Darwin Day Celebration – Pizza and a movie!Calladushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620879847877868166noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5736821.post-68579381854930074272008-02-21T23:36:00.000-08:002008-02-21T23:36:00.000-08:00Hi Loren!Darwin didn't actually 'find' that evolut...Hi Loren!<BR/><BR/>Darwin didn't actually 'find' that evolution occurred through natural selection. Rather, he proposed that evolution occurred through natural selection, and marshaled a great deal of evidence from different lines of research that supported that and related claims. It is an interesting fact that in the latter half of the 19th century evolution and common descent were widely accepted, but Darwin's proposed mechanism (natural selection) enjoyed only a lukewarm response. For example, Thomas Huxley, who was known as 'Darwin's bulldog' for his vigorous public defense of evolution, was skeptical that natural selection was that important. The generation that followed Darwin was no different. A variety of other schemes were put forward, including those of early geneticists who felt that perhaps mutations were the single most important factor.<BR/><BR/>Eventually, the evidence that showed that natural selection was the main mechanism was in fact provided by geneticists and their allies, population biologists. There are actually multiple lines of new evidence that came together for the first time in the 1930's, which is why the theories taught today in biology are sometimes referred to as 'Neo-Darwinism' or the 'modern synthesis', though even those terms are getting out of date.<BR/><BR/>The major names associated with the modern synthesis, interestingly enough, are a hodgepodge of belief and non-belief where religion are concerned. The ornithologist Ernst Mayr and the paleontologist G.G. Simpson were agnostics at best, but the mathematician Ronald Fisher was a devout Anglican, the population biologist Sewall Wright was a Unitarian who developed a philosophical system patterned on the thought of Leibniz and the geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky was a committed Russian Orthodox who once famously described himself as 'an evolutionist and a creationist.' <BR/><BR/>Since the architects of the modern synthesis were not of one mind where religion is concerned, it seems fair to say that there is nothing in the modern theory that absolutely precludes belief in God. I'd be happy to discuss this with you in any venue you choose, BTW, as I live in the Fresno-Clovis area myself. Just for the record, I am a Methodist but am also an enthusiastic Darwinian and you may recall that I dropped in and visited New Cov when they had an ID-friendly presentation. I'm glad to see that Pastor Jan was serious when he said he wanted to sponsor serious treatment of apologetics in the Fresno area. He's an impressive individual. You can see my blog <A HREF="http://www.monkeytrials.blogspot.com/" REL="nofollow">Monkey Trials</A> for more info about yours truly. Drop me a line sometime!Scott Hatfield . . . .https://www.blogger.com/profile/00363885800131794994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5736821.post-138409575768014572008-02-21T18:25:00.000-08:002008-02-21T18:25:00.000-08:00Hi Loren!I think perhaps you have your question a ...Hi Loren!<BR/><BR/>I think perhaps you have your question a little backwards.<BR/><BR/>Darwin's theory actually predicted a biological mechanism by which hereditary information was transferred down through the generations. He had no clue about DNA.<BR/><BR/>Although DNA was discovered in the mid to late 1800s, no one knew about it's role in heredity until the 1940's ~ '50's.<BR/><BR/>So, I would say that Darwin's theory, which predicted a hereditary mechanism, is actually demonstrated (in part) by the mere discovery of DNA, and our understanding of how it is used in heredity.<BR/><BR/>One of the strengths of a theory is determined by the success of the predictions that it makes.Calladushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17620879847877868166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5736821.post-81253399627461500672008-02-21T17:48:00.000-08:002008-02-21T17:48:00.000-08:00Hey Mark, Thanks for guiding me to you site. Just...Hey Mark, <BR/>Thanks for guiding me to you site. Just a question, what in modern genetics has conclusively demonstrated the validity of Darwin's finding of evolution through natural selection? <BR/><BR/>More than a little curious,<BR/>LorenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com