Different issue entirely. What happened during the opening epoch of the Big Bang is definitely controversial in science; there are ideas all over the map on this one. But 1-2 orders of magnitude younger? That's not really possible, given the constancy of light observed over the order of billions of years. I've heard hypotheses that the speed of light may have been radically different at the opening instant of the universe, but in order for observations we see to hold true, it had to have "leveled off" fairly quickly.
Why is this such a big deal? Einstein’s Theory of Relativity would be wrong.
"Wrong" is kind of a misnomer; a better way to put it is the theory might need a very high order correction; just as the theory of relativity itself is a higher order correction to Newton's Laws. The basic theory of relativity works well under most circumstances; these observations won't change that.
Nearly everyone else thought that the result was wrong, and a critical paper was published that tried to show that it was the outcome of inadvertent statistical massage (1995 Phys. Rev. D 51 2644). Last year, in an internal report from the University of Rome La Sapienza, the original authors rejected the criticism.
To be honest, this isn't something I know much about. But it does go to show that science tries to correct its mistakes. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence - if "2400 solar masses were converted to gravitational waves", you need make sure what you're looking at isn't a trick of statistics. In any case, gravitational waves are a hot area of research (look up the LIGO detector if you have time); very complex stuff (these are very deep waters indeed).
What happens in deep disputes like this is summed up in the grim Planck dictum: scientists do not give up their disputed ideas, they only die.
Basically, you're saying a theory sticks around until someone comes up with a better model to replace it. I don't see the problem here.
My argument about evolution* is and will always be, that all you loud mouth people who accept as some sort of fact etched in stone that man evolved from some primordial ooze are just as religious as the people you bash.
Not really. Are you saying that there isn't overwhelming evidence to substantiate the theory of common descent? This isn't a consequence of faith, it's a consequence of consistent observation of data. A "strange and unexpected result" about plant genetics does not alone refute the entire body of knowledge we have supporting evolution, it only shows there are some things we still don't know about it yet. Surely it's no reason to stop looking for answers; saying "it's a miracle" is not a scientific answer.
The truth is --though you are loath to admit it-- that we don't know jack about the origin of the species
We know quite a bit. Read a biology textbook or two. There's a lot we still don't know, of course. I have no pretentions as to otherwise.
If there is indeed some mechanism built into organisms to repair flawed genes, the whole theory -which is already mathematically astronomically improbable- is now a few dozen more orders of magnitude more improbable.
That is a premature assumption. In any case, improbability does not refute a theory; it only means what it says, that it's improbable.
OK, you can now commence to ranting in the comments about how it is a fact and I'm just some ignorant fool. And make sure you bash religious people... If there is one thing I love to laugh at, it is one religious zealot claiming the other guy is just a religious zealot.
I didn't come here to bash you or anyone else. I thought this forum was a way to exchange ideas. The theory of evolution works and works well that much is factual; I'm not going to get caught up in the semantics of the difference between theories and facts here. Evolution has nothing to do with my religious beliefs. I've pointed out in many of my posts that I do believe God is the Creator of the universe. He also didn't give us a brain and not intend us to use it, though, IMHO - the theory of evolution is a conclusion we humble humans have derived from nature using our minds, not a religious assumption. I don't see the problem here - the religious experience and scientific inquiry are two totally different concepts, and should remain that way.
* The nomenclature will always bite you. I don't use "evolution" in the strict definition here, I mean evolution as in the theory that lighting stuck inorganic material and started life that a bazillion years later evolved into every life form on the planet. That version of "evolution" is seriously, seriously flawed.... And no amount of your typing in the comments section will make unflawed.
Only future research will tell what is flawed and what is not flawed. Right now, there is no complete theory of abiogenesis. There is a wealth of evidence documenting the subsequent evolution of life on earth, however. And you're right, no amount of typing here can really prove or debunk any theory - that's why we have scientific journals, conferences & research papers.
Different issue entirely. What happened during the opening epoch of the Big Bang is definitely controversial in science;
***OK, sounds like a good place to start for someone like me who is saying that it sure looks like a scientific controversy.
there are ideas all over the map on this one. But 1-2 orders of magnitude younger? That's not really possible, given the constancy of light observed over the order of billions of years.
***I've really got a problem with this statement because we have not been around long enough to observe such constancy, we can only postulate that it has been constant. But now even that postulation is demonstrably untrue if we know that the fine structure constant has changed, so we are now in a position of trying to figure out how much it affects the origins hypotheses. That is another area where I see scientific controversy. Keep in mind that Feynman got his Nobel Prize in this kind of area, and a considerable measure of it was from NOT agreeing to what other scientists had to say when they were taking points from the far end of the curve (scientifically questionable to begin with), which is similar to where the controversy is today.
I've heard hypotheses that the speed of light may have been radically different at the opening instant of the universe, but in order for observations we see to hold true, it had to have "leveled off" fairly quickly.
***Yep, it looks like science is going to have to get some more data on this topic. In the meantime, does that mean that there is a scientific controversy or is there not one?
Why is this such a big deal? Einstein’s Theory of Relativity would be wrong....."Wrong" is kind of a misnomer; ...
***I am afraid that I might not have made myself clear at this point in my post, but I was quoting from the various websites to show that there was a scientific controversy in progress. I don't necessarily agree with what those folks said (mostly I do, but perhaps not in such magnitude). If you would like me to comment on your comments, let me know. I see a lot that I agree with in what you said.