</creo>
Posted on 09/26/2005 3:27:53 AM PDT by Crackingham
When scientists announced last month they had determined the exact order of all 3 billion bits of genetic code that go into making a chimpanzee, it was no surprise that the sequence was more than 96 percent identical to the human genome. Charles Darwin had deduced more than a century ago that chimps were among humans' closest cousins. But decoding chimpanzees' DNA allowed scientists to do more than just refine their estimates of how similar humans and chimps are. It let them put the very theory of evolution to some tough new tests.
If Darwin was right, for example, then scientists should be able to perform a neat trick. Using a mathematical formula that emerges from evolutionary theory, they should be able to predict the number of harmful mutations in chimpanzee DNA by knowing the number of mutations in a different species' DNA and the two animals' population sizes.
"That's a very specific prediction," said Eric Lander, a geneticist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and a leader in the chimp project.
Sure enough, when Lander and his colleagues tallied the harmful mutations in the chimp genome, the number fit perfectly into the range that evolutionary theory had predicted.
SNIP
Evolution's repeated power to predict the unexpected goes a long way toward explaining why so many scientists are practically apoplectic over the recent decision by a Pennsylvania school board to treat evolution as an unproven hypothesis, on par with "alternative" explanations such as Intelligent Design (ID), the proposition that life as we know it could not have arisen without the helping hand of some mysterious intelligent force.
SNIP
"What makes evolution a scientific explanation is that it makes testable predictions," Lander said. "You only believe theories when they make non-obvious predictions that are confirmed by scientific evidence."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
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I don't know that there is any argument that things evolve over time. The big question is when and how was man created. This can not be answered absolutely and never will be in my opinion.
Divine design also makes testable predictions. Not so much about physical effects and reactions -- but as to man's actions and the reaction resultant.
BVW- Can you provide an example of such a theory?
A charitable heart makes a nation wealthy.
That's a prediction, alright. Now, how about providing the test.
Could someone please post that "Oh God, this thread sucks" pic, the one with the exasperated guy who has his head in his hands? I think we're going to need it.
To conclude that humans evolved from a common ancestor of chimpanzees because 96 percent of their genes are the same is jumping to conclusions. Evolution "scientists" must be part kangaroo!
I think they're succumbing to the temptation to arrange the facts to fit their theory. Like the pollsters.
Genesis 1;11, 12 says "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Two keys here: "after it's kind" (not another kind!) and "God said". I would rather believe God, who has no theories but facts and has never lied, than believe man who changes his statements about everything like facelifts on the new car models!
i'm not defending or questioning either position but isn't our genome sequence 90% the same as a mouse too?
the evos say it proves evolution.
the creos say it proves a common designer.
Why do you think this thread sucks?
Really? So you don't chalk up any of the flame wars to creationists?
"We object to the distinction between naturalism and supernaturalism."
A supposedly educated person actually made this statement. Amazing.
Yeah, the creationists always start the name calling. Guess they just feel they have to defend God against Darwin - lol. Why can't they just accept that Darwin was right and God is wrong? If human DNA is so close to monkeys, doesn't that prove we descended from monkeys? What else do they need to know? They should just accept the fact that Darwin proved God didn't create anything or anyone and believe "scientists".
Most creationism/evolutionism threads degenerate into uncivilized shouting matches. Few things are as shrill as a scorned evolutionist.
So you start out with an uncivilized shout. LOL.
Oops. Wrong thread. Sorry.
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