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anotherdad
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Joined: Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:33 pm

Re: Private tuition alongside schooling

Post by anotherdad »

bridge wrote:
anotherdad wrote:Evolution by natural selection is a topic that some very religious schools don't cover properly. They still consider it a theory, which as every good scientist knows, is pretty much how most things are described until there's an absolute proof, but evolution by natural selection is so overwhelming evident that to try and deny its existence is akin to flat earth advocacy.
Not wanting to stray too far from the thread topic; however, I did see a documentry once with Richard Dawkins where he was at a religious school asking why they didn't teach Evolution the reply he got was that it was just a theory not fact. Richard didn't challenge that, he just nodded. I'll try to find it: I'm sure it's on youtube.

I never knew natural selection led to evolution but will try and read about it.
Knowing Dawkins, he judged his audience and decided it wasn't worth trying to explain to people who probably weren't minded to be persuaded.

As Surferfish has correctly said, those who dispute evolution by natural selection seize the word "theory" as evidence of it not being proven whereas it is one of the most evident "theories" in all science. The evidence can be found all around us yet some will not be convinced until they see the fossilised remains of an ape cradling a human baby because they mistakenly believe that we somehow descended from apes when in fact we share a common ancestor.

Do have a read about evolution by natural selection. Some of Dawkins' books are a good introduction to the subject, as are some of his lectures on YouTube. "The Selfish Gene" is a good start. He's often derided because of his staunch atheism (I was a fan already but the atheism adds to the attraction for me, I read "The God Delusion" after I read his biology books) that shouldn't detract from his brilliance as a scientist and skill at explaining. I enjoyed physics and chemistry much more when I was younger and was somewhat dismissive of biology. I now find biology fascinating and it's a subject I read a lot about in my spare time.
RedPanda
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Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2015 10:56 am

Re: Private tuition alongside schooling

Post by RedPanda »

My favourite fact about Darwin, is that he married his cousin. :)
piggys
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Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2011 9:29 am

Re: Private tuition alongside schooling

Post by piggys »

I never could stand Dawkins. He's a fanatic and so boringly dogmatic and prissy.

I didn't realise Darwin was into the whole inbreeding thing.
anotherdad
Posts: 1763
Joined: Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:33 pm

Re: Private tuition alongside schooling

Post by anotherdad »

piggys wrote:I never could stand Dawkins. He's a fanatic and so boringly dogmatic and prissy.

I didn't realise Darwin was into the whole inbreeding thing.
That's why I like him! Dawkins that is, I'm not into inbreeding.
piggys
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Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2011 9:29 am

Re: Private tuition alongside schooling

Post by piggys »

A few years back I remember reading about the way he had set up summer youth camps to teach atheism which struck me as spectacularly, comically ironic - given his apparent objection to any form of 'indoctrination'. What a laugh. I can just see him sitting by the camp fire (apparently they sang 'Imagine, and other peace n lurve ditties), telling his willing vessels 'don't listen the them - listen to ME". :lol: What a hypocrite.

As for inbreeding- I don't know a lot about Darwin but was he not up to speed on the genetic dangers of marrying and procreating with one's first cousins? (although there are still some communities which maintain this practice I believe, so not much progress there.)
RedPanda
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Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2015 10:56 am

Re: Private tuition alongside schooling

Post by RedPanda »

piggys wrote:As for inbreeding- I don't know a lot about Darwin but was he not up to speed on the genetic dangers of marrying and procreating with one's first cousins? (although there are still some communities which maintain this practice I believe, so not much progress there.)
He wasn't just up to speed on the genetic dangers of inbreeding, he basically discovered them. He did experiments in this area, some believe because of the ill health (and infertility) of his children and (of course) as a progression of his work on natural selection.

In terms of the impact of his work, I'd rate him higher than Newton and Einstein. Sorry physicists :)

I can take or leave Dawkins though.
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