Why do Americans not understand Evolution?

A recent poll stated that the majority of Americans were "skeptical" of Evolution. I don't believe this. I think the majority of Americans don't have a damn clue what Evolution is, so they reject it because they don't understand it. In order to be skeptical, you have to understand the concept of whatever you are skeptical of. It is sad that these people have been able to direct the conversation on Evolution in our country for 100 years. 'Social Darwinism", 'survival of the fittest' etc. All myths and nonsense that got beaten down the publics throat as if it is fact. What is preventing Americans from getting educated on Evolution? After all, it is only the reason why we're all here.

 

This is about education. Our education is strongly effected by Christian ideologists. In some states, such as Texas, they rewriting textbooks and even people with medical profession sometimes have no good education in basic biology. We do not have national standard education program. A school board can decide what to teach and some parents prefer home schooling, which may be very good or very bad, depending on the background of the parents. Ironically, we have outstanding world class scientists in evolution.

 

How many educated Americans are readily available to take polls? This is why I take all such with a huge grain of salt. It's a racket, a bill of goods sold to business, media and politicians.

 

Since evolution has never been observed due to, among other things, the time frame allegedly involved, and scientist just theorize that it exists based on similarities and dissimilarities, and even the presence of evolution would not exclude intelligent design, I would say, "de omnibus dubitandum."

 

See what I mean.

 

Point to me one instance where man has ever observed a naturally occurring evolutionary change as it happened? Ignorance of science is bliss even for atheists. There is a reason they call it the THEORY of Evolution and not the LAW of Evolution.

 

I subscribe to the THEORY of evolution, because it makes sense to me, but where do you get that there is no room for skepticism when it comes to scientific theory.
I guess the country just isn't as educated as you. Spare us dude.

 

It has been observed on numerous occasions. And every time it is, the creationist crowd just moves the goal posts back. It used to be "no speciation has ever been observed!" Then it was. Now the cry is "no change in genus has ever been observed!" Once scientists observe that, the creation people will no doubt say "well no change in family has ever been observed!" And so on and so on.

 

Then feel free to source some of these numerous occasions where man has witness evolution as it occurred where it was shown to be fact and not just assumption on the part of the observer?

 

Scientists have never observed the full orbit of neptune yet they know the trajectory.

As for the theory of relativity?

 

No they assume they know the full trajectory. As for the Theory of Relativity, it is a theory that may have some problems with it based upon human observations and such

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/4/prweb10671635.htm

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2393587,00.asp#fbid=OUfrqvOVVKH

 

Yeast evolved from single-cell to multicellular organism in the lab.

New finch species evolution witnessed by scientists.

There are others, but two is enough to refute your claim that it has never been observed.

 

In general usage theory is speculative but in science its explanatory so we don't have a speculation of evolution we have an explanation of evolution.

This is one of the most pernicious misunderstandings when evolution is discussed.

 

Neither do. The yeast mutation was not naturally occurring but human manipulated so has no relevance to evolution and the second one was not evolution or observed as it happened, just interbreeding of birds, and the article itself points out that scientist did not observe it as it was happening and also pointed out that there is no real scientific standard for what even constitutes a new species.

 

what difference does it make to anyone what others believe?..if someone believes in god i dont care..if someone believes his family came from an ape i dont care...we have more important things that we should take care of first...

 

Humans and apes split 7 million years ago.

 

We can literally see it happening by looking at the fossil record for each species. That includes humans.

Do you think god made our genetic cousins the Neanderthals (who we have fossils of that well predate human ones) as a mistake, are you prepared to face the implications of that?

 

I'll grant that the finch one is arguable, but there is no part of the theory of evolution or definition of the concept itself that precludes human direction. "Human manipulated it" does not discount the fact that it happened. Humans didn't cause the mutation, they provided the selective pressure that made it favorable. That selective pressure, by the way, exists in nature. If human manipulation somehow invalidated an scientific observation, then you'd have to throw out the germ theory of disease since all of our evidence for that has come from direct human manipulation.

 

Uh, social Darwinism is just part of Darwinism. It's always been silly to me that people will insist that the latter is irrefutable fact while denying the former.

 

No they assume that is what they are seeing. I can't say there is a right route and a wrong route even if it does exist. It is what it is. We might very well be a mistake by some people's viewpoint. I imagine the cows would certainly think so.

 

There isn't even a clear scientific definition on what constitutes "evolution". There is one school of thought so watered down that any genetic change from an organism to its offspring is "evolution" which means that there are 6 billion different types of human species now since we each carry different combinations of genetic materials with each generation of breeding (of course I rounded down because of West Virginia).

As for the other part of your post, for evolution to be valid as a law, it would need to be able to have rules and criteria for what constitutes selective pressures and how it works. There is far too much unknown to even be able to raise it out of a working theory status, let alone to say with certainty that it is a fact or a law.

 

The same arguments can be offered in favor of Earth as center of universe. This would better fit "the intelligent design". Do you know why Jupiter is hot? This is because God made it only recently, it still did not cool off.

 

But it is what they are seeing. For most species there is a very, very clear evolutionary tree.

This is the stupid thing about creationist "science", it only takes into account the here and now, the visible present, and everything else is filled in by the bible. That is not science. Creationism doesn't allow for prediction.

Darwin, upon discovering a very elongated orchid during his travels 150 years ago predicted that there must be a highly specialized species of moth that evolved a super long tongue to take advantage of the nectar within the plant. The moth was not found within his lifetime, or even within the century. It was discovered only a few years ago, but because Darwin used the scientific method, something creationism throws out the damn window when it comes to biology, he was able to make a correct prediction.

Coming back to Neanderthals, I have always felt they present a bit of a conundrum. Neanderthals predate humans be several hundred thousand years, and there have been many Neanderthal burial sites found where the deceased was entombed with flowers, tools, and even food and clothing. Implying they believed in some sort of afterlife and as an extension of that, possibly a deity. You have to think, did they have their own prophets? Beings who felt touched by a higher power other than the god of the Abrahamic faiths eons before Christ, or Abraham for that matter walked the earth? Its pretty weird to think about. Or was it the same god? A god who came to feel Neanderthals were unworthy followers. The fact there was once another sentient species on this Earth presents all sorts of mind boggling questions and thoughts.

 

Spanish Flu 1918

Asian Flu 1957

Hong Kong Flu 1969

Russian Flu 1977

 

So much nonsensical misrepresentation suggests an elementary grasp of the fact and theory, but a dogmatic resistance to them.