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Avoiding the Word "Evolution"
jakosc tips us to a disturbing article in PloS Biology on the avoidance of the word "Evolution" in scientific papers and grants. From the paper: "In spite of the importance of antimicrobial resistance, we show that the actual word 'evolution' is rarely used in the papers describing this research. Instead, antimicrobial resistance is said to 'emerge,' 'arise,' or 'spread' rather than 'evolve.' Moreover, we show that the failure to use the word 'evolution' by the scientific community may have a direct impact on the public perception of the importance of evolutionary biology in our everyday lives... It has been repeatedly rumored (and reiterated by one of the reviewers of this article) that both the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation have in the past actively discouraged the use of the word 'evolution' in titles or abstracts of proposals so as to avoid controversy."
In a related story, President Bush declared today a 'crusade' on the word, saying "we will rid the world of the evo-luters".
Why is this unfortunate? Evolution is a theory. In science, it is better to focus on the known facts (as it seems is beginning to happen).
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= - The Celtic - =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
evolution ...
immigrants (especially pointing out that they do actually commit 10x more murders than non-immigrants, which is no excuse for killing or deporting them, of course, but it IS a problem, and should be studied)
politics in general, and bush specifically in any non-"he's a stupid fuck" article
muhammad (don't miss this one or an effigy of you will be hacked to pieces in 20 countries, and "asians" will kill off your family)
muslims
Lots of work to be done
conroversy? what controversy? Its fucking fact for christ sake. when will these weak willed mother fuckers just give up. your god doesnt exist in any way ou think just fucking get over it and move on. Its an outdated concept that has been replaced. Evolution happened. we proved this. Deal with it fuckers. im sick of people constantly changing the way they voice their opinions so that they will "avoid offense or controversy" fuck it say what you mean and stop pussy footing around it. The soner we do that the sooner we can EVOLVE thats right e-fucking-volve, and move on as species.
Interesting.. Darwin didn't consider his own theory "true science".
[In a letter to Asa Gray, a Harvard professor of biology, Darwin wrote:] "I am quite conscious that my speculations run quite beyond the bounds of true science."--*Charles Darwin, quoted in *N.C. Gillespie, Charles Darwin and the Problem of Creation (1979), p. 2 [University of Chicago book].
"Present-day ultra-Darwinism, which is so sure of itself, impresses incompletely informed biologists, misleads them, and inspires fallacious interpretations . . . Through use and abuse of hidden postulates, of bold, often ill-founded extrapolations, a pseudoscience has been created. It is taking root in the very heart of biology and is leading astray many biochemists and biologists, who sincerely believe that the accuracy of fundamental concepts has been demonstrated, which is not the case."--*Pierre P. de Grasse, The Evolution of Living Organisms (1977), p. 202.
"The fact is that the evidence was so patchy one hundred years ago that even Darwin himself had increasing doubts as to the validity of his views, and the only aspect of his theory which has received any support over the past century is where it applies to microevolutionary phenomena. His general theory, that all life on earth had originated and evolved by a gradual successive accumulation of fortuitous mutations, is still, as it was in Darwin's time, a highly speculative hypothesis entirely without direct factual support and very far from that self-evident axiom some of its more aggressive advocates would have us believe."--*Michael Denton, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis (1986), p. 77.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= - The Celtic - =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
So... could the church discourage use of the word "God" to avoid controversy.
If we already self-censor science, it's about time the religious crackpots shut up about their supernatural power. Oh, and of course not just A supernatural power, but THE (christian) supernatural power. All others are wrong. Why? Everybody knows that.
Porcupine Tree - "Halo"
God is freedom, God is truth
God is power and God is proof...
Read the truth here: -
http://www.darwinism-watch.com/
and
http://www.darwinism-watch.com/focus_12.php
or
http://www.harunyahya.com/
There are many scientists who strongly appose the current evolutionary model. Sadly too many hide their views so as not to be ridiculed by secularists and atheists.
How is this disturbing? This is anything BUT disturbing. Avoiding the term "evolution" is equal to avoiding the term "creation" or any other belief-specific terminology. Contrary to what some comments have said, avoiding belief-specific terms is in fact a better way for scientists to discuss biology effectively because, no matter what they believe, they can objectively agree upon their research and make scientifically valid conclusions. Why do all the comments talk about religion or how bad it is? I realize the populace here at Slashdot is 99% atheist, but I thought even atheists had the decency to understand both sides of a given situation. It looks like instead everyone's chosen to take this as an opportunity to bash any form of religious faith whatsoever, rather than focus on the topic of science and fact rather than belief and doubt. I suppose it's easier to make spiteful, jocular remarks about the unknown.
Oh, and to whoever said that "all religion wants to do is avoid education," that's only if you believe in Islam. That's why they still ride camels over there. Knowledge is power, and when you're brain-washed as a child, all you want to do as soon as you're old enough to carry a gun is kill whomever you were taught to hate (basically the Western civilization). Religion is what got the United States on its feet -- it's the reason the United States developed how it has and exists as it is today -- and it's an important staple in society. Furthermore, religion provides morals and helps to keep the people more in line. If man were naturally good, there'd be no need for religion, or government for that matter, but since anarchy has never worked, we all know that some civil law is required, and religion helps support that law in a very critical way.
Science is in itself it's own "religion", which sometimes I think tries to keep people ignorant of the spiritual. The religious believers in science who call themselves scientists, like all other religions, purport their "religion" of science to be the one true "religion" and try to force this "religion" on everyone else calling them ignorant if they do not submit.
Personally, I believe science is simply a material extension of the spiritual. I enjoy science and I'm fascinated by it's discoveries, but science is not absolute and in no way affects my personal spiritual beliefs.
Only a jihadist fag could possibly say such a dumbass thing. Go to Iran and pull your pud, asshole.
You might as well encourage more journalist to use the term gay, and I don't mean Homosexual. I mean the gay as in happy, content, pleasant definition.
Evolve does include micro-evolution but what most religious people associate with the word is the "suddenly lizards sprouted feathers and started flying" theories. Remember Darwin was a Christian, a lot of Christians understand that plants and animals 'evolve' in situations where it is necessary, humans right now are 'evolving' their metabolism.
When you say Evolve people think of a lot more than adaptation to environment. They also think Macro-evolution. When you say Gay people think of a lot more than... well there is no possible way of saying this without it sounding gay. Basically they also think of homosexuality. Its a moderately good comparison.