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Re: Fact of Evolution



George McGhee wrote:

>Since it is clear that many average citizens do not understand the
>differences between hypotheses and theories, belief systems and science,
>why not simply short-circuit the problem and teach evolution as FACT.
>If you can see it, most people accept it as fact.  We do not refer to
>"the theory that the Earth is a globe", we teach it as fact.  One that can
>be empirically observed.  Now, WHY the Earth has the shape it has leads to
>theory.

A good and important point. The reason flat-earthers are hardly around
anymore is that people can actually see the globe, from the airplane
windows and in snapshots from space. Flat-timers (i.e. creationists) hang
on, partly because we have not yet been able to present an undoctored,
easy-to-grasp snapshot of 4 billion years. We have to go graphic, but not
just by drawing pretty diagrams. It has to be tangible and undoctored. This
is not easy, but it's something to think about. In the meantime, let's talk
about the FACT of evolution versus the THEORIES and HYPOTHESES of how it
came about.

Stefan Bengtson                      _/        _/ _/_/_/    _/        _/
Department of Palaeozoology         _/_/      _/ _/    _/  _/_/    _/_/
Swedish Museum of Natural History  _/  _/    _/ _/    _/  _/  _/ _/ _/
Box 50007                         _/    _/  _/ _/_/_/    _/    _/  _/
S-104 05 Stockholm               _/      _/_/ _/   _/   _/        _/
Sweden                          _/        _/ _/     _/ _/        _/

tel. +46-8 666 42 20
     +46-18 54 99 06 (home)
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e-mail Stefan.Bengtson@nrm.se