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New Analyses Bolster Central Tenets of Evolution Theory
Washington Post ^ | September 26, 2005 | Rick Weiss and David Brown

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 ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: anothercrevothread; crevorepublic; enoughalready
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To: Crackingham

"Nothing Comes from Nothing ...

and Nothing ever Could" Ping!

21 posted on 09/26/2005 5:58:06 AM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion
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To: Crackingham

I can create a school or a bank from a similar load of bricks. It's not evidence that the school begat the bank.


22 posted on 09/26/2005 6:03:34 AM PDT by Rightwing Conspiratr1 (Lock-n-load!)
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To: All
Those who claim that the 96% commonality is evidence of "intelligent design" should bear in mind that what we have in common with our distant cousins isn't just the good stuff -- we also share broken genes, errors, viral insertions, etc. -- stuff that no intelligent designer would pass on from one species to the next. It's as if your exam paper in school were 96% the same as the guy who was sitting in front of you, including his wrong answers, and including his crazy answers. There's wouldn't be much doubt where you got your answers from.

Plagiarized Errors and Molecular Genetics. Anatomic similarities are confirmed by DNA similarities and copying errors.

23 posted on 09/26/2005 6:03:51 AM PDT by PatrickHenry (Disclaimer -- this information may be legally false in Kansas.)
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Comment #24 Removed by Moderator

To: Crackingham

This is a very good article. It demonstrates, again, that evolution does make testable predictions. The sad part is that if the creationist luddites had their way, none of this research would ever be done.


25 posted on 09/26/2005 6:09:30 AM PDT by doc30 (Democrats are to morals what and Etch-A-Sketch is to Art.)
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Comment #26 Removed by Moderator

Comment #27 Removed by Moderator

To: RoadTest

The genetic analysis is quite accurate and is predicted by evolutionary theory. The article cited here demonstrates quantitatively the predicted genetic differences between humans and chimps. This is much more than saying the DNA is 96% similar. It predicts what the differences are and, when tested, the prediction is confirmed. That would not be possible if we did not share a common ancestor with chimpanzees. Moreover, it also confirms previous research that estimated when the common ancestor divereged into different species. You may quote Scripture all you want, but it still remains that a hereditary, biological relationship exists between man and chimpanzees.


28 posted on 09/26/2005 6:15:49 AM PDT by doc30 (Democrats are to morals what and Etch-A-Sketch is to Art.)
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To: PatrickHenry
"stuff that no intelligent designer"

You keep forgetting that you are inferior in every way to the Creator and have no way to divine the intent or suitability for His purposes behind any of it. Everything you think you know is seen through a glass darkly.

29 posted on 09/26/2005 6:16:42 AM PDT by Rightwing Conspiratr1 (Lock-n-load!)
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To: Rightwing Conspiratr1

That's because buildings don't 'begat.' Living things do and evolution is part of the process.


30 posted on 09/26/2005 6:18:00 AM PDT by doc30 (Democrats are to morals what and Etch-A-Sketch is to Art.)
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To: DaveLoneRanger

I say luddites because I have yet to meet a creationsist who does not warp, twist and misrepresent science in their arguements. They have to destroy every field of modern science in order to rationalize their biblical, supernatural explanations. Perhaps it is not the best word. Perhaps either ignorant or lying would be more appropriate. As to you question, read the article, They actually explain the basis of their predictions. But then again, actually reading and understanding something about evolution is soenthing most creationists don't do.


31 posted on 09/26/2005 6:25:59 AM PDT by doc30 (Democrats are to morals what and Etch-A-Sketch is to Art.)
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To: RoadTest

Please define "kind"


32 posted on 09/26/2005 6:36:28 AM PDT by Oztrich Boy (What ever crushes individuality is despotism, no matter what name it is called. J S Mill)
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To: DaveLoneRanger
Thanks for the info but you are probably wasting your time.

Most Darwinists have made up their minds to believe anything that supports their theories and reject anything that doesn't.

Of course our friendly FR Darwinists will reply that we Creationists do the same thing - and they would probably be correct. However, they miss a huge, glaring truth - they claim science drives them . . . God drives Creation. The former is supposed to process all data without prejudice, the latter doesn't have to - it's supernatural.

Now, I know that sounds "unfair" to the Dawinists out there but the truth isn't based on what they think is "fair". Creationism isn't a human-originated "scientific theory" that should follow scentific processes and procedures. Darwinism/macroevolution supposedly is.

Should Creationism be taught in science class? Not in public schools. However, the mention that the numerous holes in Darwinism can be explained in part by ID shouldn't be banned.

33 posted on 09/26/2005 6:43:41 AM PDT by DesertSapper (I Love God, Family, Country! (and dead terrorists))
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To: bronxboy
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.

The big question is why your liddle ego is so fragile it needs to believe man was 'created' all special instead of just being another animal that evolved.

So9

34 posted on 09/26/2005 6:47:31 AM PDT by Servant of the 9 (Trust Me)
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To: Oztrich Boy
Interesting request as I doubt any of us on this thread is a taxonomist or a professor of ancient Hebrew.

Taxonomy is an attempt to categorize and classify organisms according to presumed natural relationships. This is an active scientific field meaning even these "pros" are having to continuously rewrite these groupings and/or move organisms around as we learn more about them.

. . . and you want a lowly Freeper to define a "kind"? We're still waiting for the "pros" to do so.

35 posted on 09/26/2005 6:54:27 AM PDT by DesertSapper (I Love God, Family, Country! (and dead terrorists))
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To: bronxboy
The big question is when and how was man created.

All the men I know started off as babies emerging from their mothers womb.

36 posted on 09/26/2005 7:08:23 AM PDT by shuckmaster
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To: Rightwing Conspiratr1
I can create a school or a bank from a similar load of bricks.

Bricks don't replicate themselves

37 posted on 09/26/2005 7:12:24 AM PDT by shuckmaster
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To: Rightwing Conspiratr1
You keep forgetting that you are inferior in every way to the Creator

What creator?

Everything you think you know is seen through a glass darkly.

What's in your glass?

38 posted on 09/26/2005 7:14:45 AM PDT by shuckmaster
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To: DesertSapper
However, the mention that the numerous holes in Darwinism

Show us one hole in Darwinism.

39 posted on 09/26/2005 7:16:59 AM PDT by shuckmaster
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To: mlc9852
You're equating Darwin being right with God being wrong. That's a false equivalence. Your particular interpretation of Scripture is not the only interpretation available, nor is it necessarily correct.

And, aside from evos castigating the usual suspects who repeat the same canards despite being shown evidence they are wrong, usually the first insults are thrown by creationists. Do the terms "evoloonies," "Nazis," "communists," etc., ring any bells?

40 posted on 09/26/2005 7:24:23 AM PDT by Junior (Some drink to silence the voices in their heads. I drink to understand them.)
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