Sure, but all scientists accept basic assumptions, premises & definitions of natural-science, including: what do we mean by the term "evolution".
Answer: basic evolution is the simple process Darwin first identified as 1) descent with modifications plus 2) natural selection accumulating over long time periods leads to 3) evolution of new life forms.
UCANSEE2: "Now, lets get to the definition you supplied.
1. descent with modifications.
Shouldnt that be ascent ?
I understand the context that is implied by descent as in decendents. Still, one would think that evolving implied improvement. Are we ascending as we evolve or descending ?"
I much enjoyed Brownowski's "Assent of Man" years ago:
But scientifically, we are descendants of our ancestors just as politically, we are descendants of our Founding Fathers.
There's no denigration implied in the word "descent", and scientists naturally shy away from the word "assent" as implying a value judgment not always warranted.
Think of this example: if a ferocious carnivore species gives up the life to become a vegetarian, is that "assent" or "descent"?
Yes, scientists do use another word which may get at the idea you're aiming for.
That word is: "complexify", over time evolution leads to life's "complexification".
But even there we can quickly think of exceptions -- viruses appear to have come from bacteria stripped down of all unnecessary features except essentials & DNA needed to do viral dirty-work.
So for a virus I'd change "complexified" to "simplified high-concept".
Humans of course like to think of ourselves as "ascending" and God has indeed laid out a path for that, in the next life.
But it remains problematic in this life how long humans can continue to enjoy our current status before getting tripped-up & "descending" from some natural or man-made disaster.
UCANSEE2: "2. Natural Selection
Why just natural ?
What about non-natural selection?"
Fair to say that until several thousand years ago all selection was natural selection.
Today it's arguable if any selection is truly "natural" since virtually every species on earth is affected by human enterprises, to some degree or another.
The best and longest running examples are the many breeds of dogs which began as wolves maybe 30,000 years ago.
So, unless you consider humans ourselves to be a "force of nature", dogs are the oldest, least "natural" species on Earth.
"Assent" = "Ascent".
I think Abel would disagree with you.
Thanks for the lengthy response.
Understand that I probably know less about the true ‘evolutionary process’ than you, so I’m benefiting from our conversation.
One thing you said that I disagee with-
“Sure, but all scientists accept basic assumptions, premises & definitions of natural-science,”
Specifically the words “ALL” and “SCIENTISTS”.