Is Evolution Observable?

[Duke Guilmon]

You hear a lot of creationist going around saying evolution is not observable. Is it not able to be observed? Are the creationist right? As we know creationist are wrong on almost anything. In fact is there anything they're right about? First it's good to know what the scientific definition of observation is. I said scientific definition because we are dealing in the realm of science.So what is the definition. Well there is two.(1)

1 The act of attentive watching, perceiving, or noticing

2 The data measured, collected, perceived or noticed, especially during an experiment

Is there any way evolution can fit any of these?


The first one evolution can fit. Let's take noticing for example. Darwin him self said that humans were apes. How can this be? Well humans and apes have the same behavior and the same bone structure, like thumbs for example.(2). So that's are observation, we have noticed that humans and apes have similar traits. So what evidence do we have to affirm this observation? Well there is the fact that humans and chimpanzees practically have the same DNA.(3) There are also a list of transitional fossils(4) and we know those confuse creationist.(5) So we have notice the traits of what non human apes and humans have in common and made a observation. We made predictions of this observations and conformed it with evidence. So what about the second definition? I will go over that too.

So what data can we notice or perceive during an experiment to confirm evolution. Lets go over the scientific definition of experiment.(6)

Noun: a procedure done in a controlled environment for the purpose of gathering observations, data, or facts, demonstrating known facts or theories, or testing hypotheses or theories. Verb: to carry out such a procedure.

So what controlled environment can we use to demonstrate evolution. Well lets take bacteria. In many controlled conditions bacteria change "kinds" all the time.(7) So in a controlled experiment we can change bacteria from one shape to another or change diet. Like when a culture of E.coli bacteria became larger due to eating a diet not usually eaten by the E.coli bacteria. I'd also like to mention that if we try to name every new bacteria that evolves then we would have to come up with a lot of new names.


So when confronting someone who decides to say evolution is not observable tell them the definitions and show them my examples. I would use the second one first, if they ignore that use the second one. If they keep saying it's not observable because you can't watch it tell them about something we can't witness like the planets orbits. Thanks for reading and tell me what I have gotten incorrect. Thumbsup

1. http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Observation

2. http://www.releasechimps.org/chimpanzees/overview

3. http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/past-exh...and-chimps

4. http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/huma...ls/fossils

5. http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/compare.html

6. http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Experiment

7. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14...u0i9fldWSo

[zebo-the-fat]

Every year we need to create a new flu vaccine because the flu virus evolves to make the old one less effective.
Bacteria have now evolved immunity to antibiotics which were effective a few years ago (MRSA)
Just two things that spring to mind, I'm sure there are many other examples of evolution in action

[Duke Guilmon]

Every year we need to create a new flu vaccine because the flu virus evolves to make the old one less effective.
Bacteria have now evolved immunity to antibiotics which were effective a few years ago (MRSA)
Just two things that spring to mind, I'm sure there are many other examples of evolution in action

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Lenski_resu...reationism

I remember this. AIG won't know what hit it.

[zebo-the-fat]

Every year we need to create a new flu vaccine because the flu virus evolves to make the old one less effective.
Bacteria have now evolved immunity to antibiotics which were effective a few years ago (MRSA)
Just two things that spring to mind, I'm sure there are many other examples of evolution in action

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Lenski_resu...reationism

I remember this. AIG won't know what hit it.

I wasn't aware of the Lenski experiment, very nicely done I think.

[Duke Guilmon]

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Lenski_resu...reationism

I remember this. AIG won't know what hit it.

I wasn't aware of the Lenski experiment, very nicely done I think.

Ken's slave brought it up during the debate with bill, and it was brought up. Unfortunately his friend was lying.

[Minimalist]

AIG will simply trot out one of their stable of asswipes who got a degree from a cereal box....or worse, a jesus freak diploma mill... and they'll write some shit about kinds and stuff. Look at the creatards we have hanging around here. Do you think it would take much for them to say "whew....dodged that bullet....praise jesus or allah ahkbar" and go right on being dumb fucks.

[Duke Guilmon]

AIG will simply trot out one of their stable of asswipes who got a degree from a cereal box....or worse, a jesus freak diploma mill... and they'll write some shit about kinds and stuff. Look at the creatards we have hanging around here. Do you think it would take much for them to say "whew....dodged that bullet....praise jesus or allah ahkbar" and go right on being dumb fucks.

Ya creationist tend to ignore me.

[popeyespappy]

I wasn't aware of the Lenski experiment, very nicely done I think.

Ken's slave brought it up during the debate with bill, and it was brought up. Unfortunately his friend was lying.

If it isn't a guppy giving birth to a Great Dane it isn't macro evolution. Just ask old 777 if you think I'm wrong.

[Lemonvariable72]

AIG will simply trot out one of their stable of asswipes who got a degree from a cereal box....or worse, a jesus freak diploma mill... and they'll write some shit about kinds and stuff. Look at the creatards we have hanging around here. Do you think it would take much for them to say "whew....dodged that bullet....praise jesus or allah ahkbar" and go right on being dumb fucks.

Ya creationist tend to ignore me.

Yeah same here, despite great examples with Italian wall lizards and three toed skinks.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/200...112433.htm

[Anomalocaris]

Ken's slave brought it up during the debate with bill, and it was brought up. Unfortunately his friend was lying.

If it isn't a guppy giving birth to a Great Dane it isn't macro evolution. Just ask old 777 if you think I'm wrong.

To his ilk anything that, by being evolution, might seem to highlight the ignorance embodied in the bible is automatically not evolution.