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Intelligent versus non-intelligent ideas about design and evolution
Dr. Darrell J. KempDepartment of biology, Macquarie University
“Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution”
- Theodosius Dobzhansky (1900-1975)
2009 a special year:- 200th Anniversary of Darwin’s birthday- 150th Anniversary of the ‘Origin of Species’
Why is Evolution Important?
What Darwinian Evolution is (and isn’t):
Doesn’t explain the meaning of life
…or even, necessarily, the processes that initiated life in the first place (origin of life)
Does explain: The diversification of life forms, once life on earth initiated (i.e., the “Origin of Species”)
Process of Natural selection (as Darwin formulated it…)
“Top-Down” explanation for the diversity and complexity of life forms on the planet.
Three ‘necessary and sufficient’ conditions:
1. Struggle for survival (Competition);
2. Variation (Differences among individuals);
3. Inheritance (Offspring resemble their parents).
Evolution is an emergent property (a consequence) of these rules
“Another curious aspect of the theory of (Darwinian) evolution is that everybody thinks he understands it…”
- Jacques Monod (Herbert-Spencer Lecture)
The evidence is overwhelming!!
Fossil recordFossil record
BiogeographyComparative
anatomy/embryology
The evidence is overwhelming!!
Fossil record
BiogeographyComparative
anatomy/embryology
Molecular biology
The evidence is overwhelming!!
Fossil record
BiogeographyComparative
anatomy/embryology
Artificial selection
Intelligent Design ‘theory’
Essentially an innovation (on behalf of the creationism movement) to circumvent US constitutional law
(…an attempt to package creationist views up as a bona-fide scientific theory…)
I.D. ‘theory’ states:
“An unspecified entity which is currently unobservable used unknown techniques and tools to design life, and/or the universe.”
Philip Johnson (Law Professor)
I.D. ‘theory’ states:
“An unspecified entity which is currently unobservable used unknown techniques and tools to design life, and/or the universe.”
Intelligent design vs. Evolution
"Both sides ought to be properly taught . . . so people can understand what the debate is about”
President George W. Bush, August 1 2005
Why does this matter for us? …because, what happens in the USA…
…does NOT always stay in the USA(even if it is really bad!)