Can someone summarise the evolution and creation theory for me?

Hi Leela,

I’ll go one better – here are descriptions of the successful scientific theory of evolution, & of the failed faith-based hypothesis of creation, plus a summary of both.

EVOLUTION

The biological processes by which life on Earth diversified from its single-celled origin around four billion years ago to the estimated 14 million species co-existing today are known as evolution. The 1.5 century old theory of evolution is one of the best evidenced of scientific theories (making evolution a fact of nature in colloquial vernacular English), & evolutionary biology provides the organising framework for all of the life sciences:

• ‘Structure of Evolutionary Biology’, a clickable diagram at The People's Encyclopaedia

— The structure of evolutionary biology & its relationship to other biological disciplines. The history & causes of evolution (center) are the subject of the various subdisciplines of evolutionary biology (inner ring), which grade into one another and, as shown by the arrows, are related both to one another & to other disciplines (outer ring). The areas of the segments in the diagram convey an impression of the historical contributions of the subdisciplines to the literature of evolutionary biology. (Click on individual words for links to other articles)

» clickable diagram – http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9...

In its current form, the modern evolutionary synthesis, the theory of evolution states that:

• Evolution can be explained by what we know about genetics, & what we see of animals & plants living in the wild.

• The variety & relatives frequencies of genes (alleles) carried in natural populations is a key factor in evolution.

• Selection is the main mechanism of change. Even a very slight advantage can be important, as it may be continued generation after generation. The struggle for existence of animals & plants in the wild causes natural selection. Only those who survive & reproduce pass their genes on to the next generation.

• Evolution is gradual: natural selection occurs, & small genetic changes collect. Species only change little from one generation to the next. Big changes do occur, from time to time, but they are very rare.

• Genetic drift is usually less important than natural selection. It can be important in small populations.

• In palaeontology, we try to understand the changes in fossils through time. We think the same factors which act today also acted in the past.

• As circumstances change, the rate of evolution may get faster or slower, but the causes are the same.

See also:

» Timeline of human evolution – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_human_evo...

» Modern evolutionary synthesis – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_evolutionary_s...

CREATION

The guesswork of the leaders of a Middle Eastern bronze age Canaanite tribe form the origin myth contained in the Bible. It conceives a worldview which is clearly that of a flat earth (eg: Isaiah 11:12 , Isaiah 44:24 ), & a luminous moon (Gen 1:16), in a geocentric universe (eg: Joshua 10:12-13, Ps. 93:1, 1 Chron. 16:30), along with Mesopotamian astronomy of the period. We now know the Earth is an oblate spheroid, the moon is not luminous, the Earth-Moon system orbits a heliocentric solar system, & the centre of the universe cannot be uniquely determined.

The Bible describes the origins of Earth’s organisms in Genesis 1 & 2 (dating universal creation to Sunday, October 23, 4004 BCE) – accounts which read like wildly inaccurate guesswork, when compared to what we now know about the deep time of geology & palaeontology, & about the evolution of life forms over billions of years; eg – for a comparison table, see:

» http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_the_Bible...

Great advances in the Earth & life sciences over the last two centuries have revealed a multitude of errors in the Biblical creation myth – understandable errors, given the pre-scientific & superstitious societies in which its authors were raised. However, extremist reactionary sects within contemporary Abrahamic religions still cling fast to their Biblical creation myth as the inerrant word of God/Allah/YHWH, & have made up faith-blinded pseudoscientific concoctions such as ‘Creationism’ & ‘Intelligent Design’ in a failed attempt to discredit evolutionary biology.

SUMMARY

Evolution is a century-and-a-half old, copiously-evidenced, & hugely successful scientific theory; the organising framework for all of the life sciences; & a detailed explanation of how the magnificent biodiversity of life on Earth developed over four billion years.

Creation is a three-and-a-half millennia old, fictional & failed faith-based hypothesis; the origin myth of a Middle Eastern bronze age Canaanite tribe; & a superstitious guesswork story beginning around 6,000 years ago, with little to no connection to the realities of cosmic & biological evolution.

Evolution: Species are below the impact of genetic mutation and average resolution; they difference through the years (anything to do with alleles in a populace; ask a scientist.) Intelligent Designgoes anything like this: "We think in a devout e-book and thus do not consider at ease with the idea of evolution. The declare is that distinctive attributes like the attention are "irreducibly elaborate" and haven't any average rationalization, however a supernatural intent that's our precise god. So we haven't any proof, however we swear that it is a technological know-how and your kids ought to be taught it along evolution, considering the fact that we think technological know-how in these days encourages atheism and we do not wish to consider just like the descendant of a dingbat." That's the change among the 2. Would you alternatively move with proof, or lack of information operating with emotional bias? P.S. Big D acquired it fallacious. Evolution isn't the Big Bang in any respect -- why do not creationists and ID proponents give up mendacity and be sincere with their supporters? Lying is not very ethical. Edit: To the bald man means beneath me: I.D. is supported through Protestant Christians within the United States specially and are distilled from previous perspectives of Creationism which draw from a literal interpretation of Genesis. Get a clue.

Evolution :-

Theory attempting to explain the diversity and origins of life on earth which gained prominence in the 19TH Century. Charles Darwin postulated that all living creatures and by extension, matter itself, had come from previous, simpler substances. For example Humans came from Apes.

Embarrassingly, there is no evidence that supports this theory. For example, if Apes really did transition to Humans there would many transitional fossils. There are in fact none. Another example of the unconvincing nature of the theory is it's irreconcilable conflict with the Law of Biogenesis (Life can only come from life, not spontaneous generation). Natural selection and random mutation also fail to support the theory.

Creation:-

All things were designed and manufactured by an intelligent source. This being the only possibility that remains to explain how things got here, when the entire picture is viewed, and all Laws of Science and Logic are upheld.

Evolution : Random Mutation and Natural Selection. The organism that best fits that ecological niche. Fact and Evidence. Fossils, DNA, Geology, Geography, Dendrochronology, carbon 14 dating, Argo-Potassium dating.

Creation: Religious dogma. No science involve. Sometimes also called Intelligent Design. No facts and No Evidence. Everything revolves around a religious book, usually the bible. There is no "theory" in creationism. All they do is attack evolution without providing evidence. If there was a real theory, it would stand on its on merit.

Evolution: The process of change within the population of living things over time. The evidence can be seen not only as fossils but in small populations of fast breeding animals/plants. As an example you can force fish to evolve by breeding them to have brighter colours. But, the colourful fish will evolve back to be less colourful if you put them out in nature and stop breeding them.

Creationism: God did it. Not logic, not evidence just that, God did it.

Evolution : beings randomly change form for no reason at all, and those who have bad forms die for some reason.

Creation : a sky daddy said, let there be everything, and it basically appeared. Like magic.