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1. What is a scientific theory? How does the scientific use of theory differ from common uses of the word theory? What effect does this have on public discussion about Darwinian Evolution?
Scientific theories are hypotheses that have withstood repeated testing by different people and whose results have been confirmed to remain constant, therefore there exists little chance that new tests will change the outcome (Lewis & Germain). It does not rely on metaphysical explanations, instead it uses induction and deduction. (Professor M. Rowe, personal communication, September, 2015) A hypothesis may be considered a theory only after it has gone through rigorous and extensive testing utilizing the scientific process, and can be consistently proven
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The Theory of Evolution is mostly concerned with how past and present species change over time and how these changes are decided, which does involve our common ancestor, but only from the perspective of how that ancestor influenced all future species. To focus on evolution, you must look at species who have already evolved, which makes it clear that evolution mostly concerns itself with what happened after life originated. (Gregory, …show more content…
The truth is that, despite technological advances, humans are still evolving like every other species, the only difference is the direction. (Gregory, 2008) In fact, there is scientific evidence that humans are currently evolving because of our technological advancements. (Hawks, J., Wang, E., Cochran, G., Harpending, H., & Moyzis, R., 2007) The truth is that we, and every species currently in existence, are still evolving. The only difference is in the direction and speed of it, due to technological
In science, a theory will refer to an explanation of an important feature of the world supported by testing and facts that have been gathered over time. It’s there scientific theories that allow scientists to make predictions about untested and unobserved concurrences in the world. The American Association for the Advancement of Science has this explanation of what a theory means to those in the science field, and it is as follows, “A scientific theory is a well substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts......Such fact supported theories are not guesses but reliable accounts of the real
The human DNA closely resembles that of chimpanzees, sharing over ninety-six percent of our DNA. For some perspective, the difference between humans and chimpanzees is ten times smaller than the genetic gap between rats and mice. Both human beings and chimpanzees are considered intelligent beings, partially due to their ability to create and use tools. But as the years have passed, like seconds on a clock, the gap between these two animals has increased an almost inconceivable, with the starting at the point at which we evolved from. Today the tools humans use are created in order to make our everyday lives easier. But at some point we as a species has to ourselves some questions: How much technological advancement
There are many definitions to theory. According to Akers (2009) “theories are tentative answers to the commonly asked questions about events and behavior” (Akers, (2009, p. 1). Theory is a set of interconnect statements that explain how two or more things are related in two casual fashions, based upon a confirmed hypotheses and established multiple times by disconnected groups of researchers.
"On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life," usually shortened to "the Origin of Species," is the full title of Charles Darwin's book, first published in 1859, in which Darwin formalized what we know today as the Theory of Evolution. Although Darwin is the most famous exponent of this theory, he was by no means the first person to suspect the workings of evolution. In fact, Charles owed a considerable debt to his grandfather Erasmus, a leading scientist and intellectual, who published a paper in 1794, calledZoonomia, or, The Laws of Organic Life. This set down many of the ideas that his grandson elaborated on 70 years later.
According to Darwin and his theory on evolution, organisms are presented with nature’s challenge of environmental change. Those that possess the characteristics of adapting to such challenges are successful in leaving their genes behind and ensuring that their lineage will continue. It is natural selection, where nature can perform tiny to mass sporadic experiments on its organisms, and the results can be interesting from extinction to significant changes within a species. Human beings are no exception to biological evolution. Like other organisms around the world, humans have significantly changed over time and have developed all sorts of diverse characteristics.
Darwin stated that humans will continually evolve the older our species gets. This means until something changes enough to make us go extinct than
Are we still evolving? How do humans and apes share a common ancestor? Modern human species or Homo sapiens have shown great similarities in the physical and genetic makeup to another group primates species, the apes. Both organisms share a common ancestor dating back eight to six million years ago. Evolution means change over time. Human evolution is the process by which humans have emerged from apelike ancestors. Through sequences of mutations, genetic drift, migration, and natural selection and technology we are able to observe the amazing amount of similarities and diversity of humans to other living organisms. Humans have roamed the earth for about six million years. At least, that is from when the oldest human ancestor was discovered.
There are many definitions to theory. According to Akers, “theories are tentative answers to the commonly asked questions about events and behavior.” Theory is a set of interconnected statements that explain how two or more things are related, based upon a confirmed hypotheses and established multiple times by disconnected groups of researchers.
A theory is basically a way to describe the essence of things. It involves careful consideration over what, how and why things come to be, how they work, and any interrelationship shared among other human realities. Theories seek to explain what the observer witnesses through thorough examination and thoughtful contemplation over matters some simple and some more complex (Akers, & Sellers, 2013). There is a distinct difference between ideas, thoughts and scientific theories and the essential component is what C. Wright Mills calls the sociological imagination (1959). It is important for intellectual thought to move from individual experience to a social standpoint, this shift the perspective from internal to external, becomi...
Evolutionary theory throws humans into a tizzy. Driven by the need to amass knowledge, we find ourselves surging forward into the exploration of a story where the more we know, the less we can feature ourselves. Eminent evolutionary biologist Ernst Mayr contends that anthropocentrism and belief in evolution by natural selection are mutually exclusive (Mayr 1972). In other words, the Darwinian story of biological evolution rejects the notion of progress and replaces it with directionless change, thereby subverting the conception of human superiority on a biological scale toward perfection. Evolution by natural selection undermines the idea that humans are the culmination and ultimate beneficiaries of all nature. However, to say that anthropocentrism necessarily dissolves in the rising tide of evolutionary theory is to ignore the ways in which human centered humanness plays an intriguing role in evolution.
The evolution theory, one of the most significant theories, laid groundwork for the study of modern biological science. This theory has lead scientists into unending debates due to lack of empirical supports. Until the mid-eighteenth century, when Charles Darwin came up with an explanation to evolution, scientists, then, began to endorse this hypothesis. In “Natural Selection,” Darwin explains the natural selection, a plausible mechanism that causes evolution, to gain approval of his cynical audience for his evolution theory. He supports his claim with numerous examples of animals and plants that have developed traits beneficial for survival. A century later, Stephen Jay Gould, influenced by Darwin’s work, supports the evolution theory with a different method. In “Evolution as Fact and Theory,” Gould, in contrast to Darwin, criticizes his detractors, the creationists who believe that every life form is the creation of a supernatural being, to reinforce the validity of the evolution theory. Gould undermines creationism by emphasizing its misused concepts of theory and popular philosophy, proving that it is not science. Besides denouncing creationism, Gould also provides theoretical examples as evidence to prove evolution is a theory. Despite their different approaches, both Darwin and Gould effectively prove the existence of evolution.
A theory is a way organizing and systematizing what is known about a phenomenon. It is, in fact, “a rationalized set of assumptions or hypotheses that provides a person with tools that can be utilized to explain the past and predict the future” (Johnson, 2000). Therefore, theories provide direction and when tested and supported, can assist in expanding our knowledge.
The theory takes into consideration the biological processes of natural selection, mutation, symbiosis, gene transfer and genetic drift. Science concept Charles Darwin Charles Darwin was a naturalist born on the 12th of February 1809 in England. Darwin grew up loving nature and went to Edinburgh University. On the trip around the world, Darwin collected natural samples including birds, plants and fossils. Darwin found a particular interest in the Pacific islands and South America.
A scientific theory is an explanation that is well- substantiated explanation in regards to some aspect of the natural world that is attained through scientific method and is tested numerous times and usually confirmed through vigorous observation and experimentation. The term theory can be seen as a collection of laws which allow you to show some kind of phenomenon. The strength of a scientific theory associated with the diversity of phenomena can explain its elegance and simplicity. However when new evidence is gathered a scientific theory can be changed or even rejected if it does not fit the new findings, in such cases a more accurate theory is formed. Scientific theories are used to gain further
The word theory emanated from the Greek word meaning “contemplate” It has been viewed by scholars in different ways. Theory can be defined literally as an explanation of phenomena and its associations with variables that it is attempting to predict. There are no general agreed definitions of theory because scholar’s views of what constitute theory differ based on the purpose, nature and what make up of a good theory (Gelso, 2006; Harlow, 2009; Stam, 2007, 2010; and Wacker 1998). For instance, Wacker, (1998), pointed out that a theory must have four basic criteria such as conceptual definitions, domain limitations, relationship-building, and predictions. He, also, opined that for any theory to be regarded as a good theory, it must have qualities for `good ' theory, such as “uniqueness, parsimony, conservation, generalizability, fecundity, internal consistency, empirical riskiness, and abstraction, which apply to all research methods” (p.364). Stam (2010) interpreted theory as ...