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Study Explains Evolution's Molecular Advance

pnewhook writes "The New York Times is reporting that 'by reconstructing ancient genes from long-extinct animals, scientists have for the first time demonstrated the step-by-step progression of how evolution created a new piece of molecular machinery by reusing and modifying existing parts. The researchers say the findings, published today in the journal Science, offer a counterargument to doubters of evolution who question how a progression of small changes could produce the intricate mechanisms found in living cells.'"

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  1. Cultural Evolution, and Nationalism Reborn,Anyone? by tjstork · · Score: 0, Troll

    The flipside of the evolutionary topic is, well, what if we just say there is no God and move on? Dismissing the existence of God in no way advances the human condition.

    Consider, why does one need to foolishly accept that a better adapted emergent species is not fundamentally better than a less adapted one? It's one thing to argue, correctly, that fossils form an evolutionary chain or that, we can witness the evolution of bacteria in near real time, but then to make the argument that because something is not as well adapted smacks of political correctness designed to avoid the obvious conclusion, that if some beings are better adapted than others, than humans must be too, and there ought to be scientifically determinable markers to measure which humans are better or which are worse. If we think macroscopically, we could also conclude that a culture forms an organism of sorts and different cultures evolve as well, with some naturally and deservedly displacing others, or, some others breeding weakness into a culture by virtue of exchange of information...

    Not that I would ever troll, if there is no God, what is actually wrong with Western domination of the world, or, in particular, the American invasion of Iraq and its goals to inject Democracy into the middle east. If it works, then, would that not prove American Democracy was superior, especially considering that only 130,000 soldiers are tasked to correct a nation of some 25 millions, and, if so, then, wouldn't it simply be as natural as one strain of bacteria emerging that is better adapted to say, penicillin, than another?

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