Soup’s On!
6 July 2008 by KA
Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence. - John Adams
We’ve all heard this particular refrain: “Why doesn’t/can’t evolution explain the origins of life?”
The answer is yet to be found. And we can always retreat to our own canard, that the detractor is mixing disciplines, can’t we?
Short answer is: no, we can’t.
Evolution is a multi-faceted discipline that overlaps a multitude of fields. It is essentially, everywhere. It draws on a plethora of other disciplines as well. The theory of evolution draws specific ire from the religious inasmuch as it adapts to the environment around it, and changes, which in the eyes of the credulous, appears to be weak. Ironic, that this formula seems to retrofit much like natural selection, which is at its core.
But here’s the crux of it: abiogenesis is linked (directly or indirectly) to evolution.
The proviso is that yes, evolution provides the naturalistic explanation of how we got from point A to point B, but the error (for those diametrically opposed to the ToE) is in assuming that a source is required for validity.
As an analogy, Einstein didn’t require a ’source’ for light to exist. Newton didn’t require a ’source’ for the infamous apple to bonk him on the head. These things already were, and needed an explanation.
Evolution is an explanation of how we came about, how we are today. It’s logical - it’s been proven thousands of times (or more), and will continue to prove itself.
This post is inspired by something said by PZ Meyers here, and an excellent link to the Panda’s Thumb on this particular subject.
There are myriad tracks of investigation, which include evidence of photosynthesis found earlier than expected, and here is an unusual bit of news, which gives new meaning to ‘diamond in the rough‘.
And there’s been a whole lot more going on since Stanley-Urey’s famous experiment (which in its entirety, simply showed that it could be done).
So the best bet is to shower the ignorant with the facts, and watch as they fum-fah, or retreat, or go into some obvious denial.
Beginning of course, with the RNA World hypothesis. Or maybe the Iron-Sulfur world. Or even Bubbles. (Yeah, bubbles! Sounds like an eye-roller, until you dig into it). Personally, I rather like the clay/crystals theorem, but am a tad wary, as some hereafterian may very well latch onto this in a bout of allegorical frenzy (”Look, how’d they KNOW that!?!?”).
So next time you hear that hoary old chestnut, best to just hit them with the facts. Bit o’ advice, is all
Till the next post, then.
6 July 2008, on 9:13 pm
Facts? Naw! Won’t work. They are immune to facts.
7 July 2008, on 1:13 am
Gotta just keep banging on them till the facts sink in, OV.
7 July 2008, on 2:41 pm
I think this might be somewhat “Soup” related, KA; anyway…
here’s some longtime smoldering, and a bit disturbing, stuff I kind of ’stumbled (slithered?) into’ whilst exploring two topics:
1) “The US Nuclear Arsenal”; which, adding Russia’s nukes and other sado-masochistic culprits’ (seldom talked about, of course!) is rather ‘Phenomenal’, both in numbers…and COST! Here’s the Yahoo Search page for some amazing Stats etc.:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=UTF-8&fr=ytff1-&p=total+number+of+us+nuclear+weapons&rs=0&fr2=rs-top
And…
2) “Is the Human Race Insane?”…If you’re interested in that ’soupy’ query, just Yahoo or Google that question.
I’m skipping over that old probing question to keep my links to two…and, really, to focus on something ‘tangential’…
It’s an interesting YouTube series about human evolution and migration:
A 13 part Documentary:
“Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey” Here’s the main YouTube link page [actually, page 1 of 2]…
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Journey+of+Man%3A+A+Genetic+Odyssey&search_type=
Yeah…like, supposedly, we’re…every last one of us…oh-so-loving Earthlings…DNA relatives?
“Ummm…Now, wait just a bloody, primordial, soup testing minute…You’ve GOTTA be kidding…right”?
[or, perhaps, somewhat related to a new, July 4th, horrifying movie release of: "The Mist"]…
“AAAGGHH!!!”?
7 July 2008, on 4:30 pm
Do we gotta? I mean, it’s a well known adt that facts are not worth much to the factaphobic.
7 July 2008, on 9:24 pm
ChuckA - we share 50% of our DNA w/bananas. Bananas! Comfort must be stroking his strudel @ that.
democommie - yes, we gotta. For the benefit of those listening, @ the very least.
9 July 2008, on 12:31 am
OK…Pardon a little more soup, KA?
I watched HBO’s excellent Special ‘On Demand’ about the 2000 election…titled “Recount”; which, though excellent, reminded me of what an outrageous fuck-up the agonizing results were to this country. It certainly raised old hackles and some personal volatile verbiage! The “F” word being most prominent, of course.
There’s a line near the end, which Kevin Spacey, as the Ron Klain character says something which I’ve said, similarly, many times since that debacle:
“Bush should’ve probably stayed drunk…”.
My version is more like: “Bush DEFINITELY should’ve stayed drunk…and high on coke, as well…and done a HUGE favor to the whole world!”
I think of how many people OD, who would never, in a million years, fuck up the world anywhere near to what that Cosmological, self righteous idiot has accomplished. I know…that sentiment may seem rather extreme; but I started thinking about a Doctor friend of mine, whom I’ve been friends with since High School, who’s daughter committed suicide last September. She was only 37; suffering from Bi-Polar (Manic Depression). She was a social worker; and evidently left a note saying, in effect…”Try to keep helping the poor”! That reminded me of surviving my own lame suicide attempt at age 35. [I won't needlessly go into that here.]
Yeah…what a crazy, fucking World!
Anyway…in connection with my recent comment and link about the US and Nuclear weapons; here’s another current item regarding Dubya at the G-8 and that issue…which is also why I’m pissed off about the clowns we have running the World. He’s trying to generate even more insanity…in my opinion…RE the whole idea of WMDs.
Here’s today’s article link; with a snipit that particularly caught my attention:
First the ’snip’:
“I respect the prime minister a lot,” Bush said, speaking with reporters after their meeting. “I also respect India a lot. And I think it’s very important that the United States continues to work with our friend to develop not only a new strategic relationship, but a relationship that addresses some of the world’s problems. We talked about the India-U.S. nuclear deal — how important that is for our respective countries.”
Singh said, “In this increasingly interdependent world that we live in, whether it the question of climate change or whether it is a question of managing the global economy, India and the United States must stand tall, must stand shoulder to shoulder.”
If ratified by Washington and New Delhi, the pact would reverse three decades of U.S. policy by allowing the sale of atomic fuel and technology to India, which has not signed international nonproliferation accords but has tested nuclear weapons. In return, India, would open its civilian reactors to international inspections.
U.S. critics worry the agreement could spark a nuclear arms race in Asia and weaken international efforts to prevent states like Iran and North Korea from acquiring nuclear weapons.”
Here’s the complete article link:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080709/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_g8
Just what the world needs…ANOTHER arms race! What insane fuckheads!
Most likely, I’m assuming, they’re all Sky Daddy suckholes…in one form or another? We know Dubya is, of course!
I’m compelled to end my little rant with:
“Religions are all ‘made-up’ insanity…and cause even MORE insanity in their mindless wakes!”
9 July 2008, on 4:15 am
Sorry…For some reason, the above article link seems to have changed.
Here’s another source for the same basic article:
“Bush pushes US-India nuclear deal”
http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20080708/API/807080506/Bush_pushes_US_India_nuclear_deal
And here’s another related article, first published on Aug. 2nd, 2007. In other words, Bush is still trying!
US-India Deal Said to ‘Increase Nuclear Danger’
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/08/02/2934/