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CodeOptimist

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    Creation Vs. Evolution

    in Hall of Intellectuals

    Posted

    Boy, whenever this topic is brought up, it is bound to bring many a reply :D Let's make sure we stay on track and within the CGs/HOI Guidelines. Similar threads have been locked because the conversation got out of hand. There is no reason we can't argue and discuss this topic without resorting to insults and other things that will get the thread locked. So far, the discussion has been great and I'd like to keep it that way :D

    First off, let me point something out before moving on. We can probably all agree that there is such a thing as 'absolute truth'. Many people attempt to deny the existence of absolutes, saying that "everything is relative". (Are you "absolutely" sure of that?) 2 + 2 = 4, not 6 or 97 or 50. We can be sure that 2 + 2 = 4, because it is an absolutely correct mathematical statement and can be easily proven to be so.

    Along these same lines, we can also probably agree that simply believing in something does not make it true. People say things like, "I don't believe in such and such", as if simply believing or disbelieving something will make it any more correct or incorrect. You can stand in the middle of a busy highway and believe all you want that you are perfectly safe, but sooner or later you will probably be run over by a car. You can believe as hard as you want that 2 + 2 = 6, but that doesn't change the absolute truth of the statement 2 + 2 = 4.

    If we can agree that there is absolute truth, regardless of someone's belief in it, that makes our job much easier: all we have to do is find the absolute truth!

    This brings us to the next important question. How do we identify absolute truth? Once we've found a set of possible truths, how do we find out if any of them are the correct, absolute truth? Is it possible to find a correct, absolute truth?

    How do scientists prove or disprove a theory or claim? Through proof. It is one thing to create a theory or hypothesis, but quite another to prove it.

    How do you find proof for something? Through logic, tests, measurements, and so on. Someone could create a grand theory that ocean water is full of sugar, rather than salt, but simple tests will show that the ocean is most assuredly salt water. Therefore, the theory has been disproved through a simple measurement.

    So, in conclusion: the scientific, rational way to go about identifying the "correctness" of a claim is through proof; which is found using logic/deduction, measurements, tests, and so forth. This goes back to the mathematics example: anyone can claim that 2 + 2 = 6, but without proof, the claims are just claims and nothing more. For a claim to be substantiated, evidence must be provided and possible problems or objections resolved. It is possible to find a correct, absolute truth using these methods.

    In this discussion, we have two possible truths: Evolution, and Creation. Generally speaking, Evolution states that species evolved through natural selection and small mutations over a course of many millions of years; while Creation states that an intelligent being (God) created all species.

    How do we determine which is correct? We must find proof through the aforementioned scientific methods of logic (deductive reasoning), measurements, observations and tests. If the theories cannot provide reasonable proof, they are more than likely to be incorrect.

    Can Evolution be proven?

    Let's say you had a cup with ten dice numbered sequentially from 1 to 10, and you wanted to roll them and have them come out in order. The chances of that happening are 1 in 3,628,800 - 10 factorial. We have 206 bones in our bodies. The probability that each bone could be placed in order via random mutations is 206 factorial - an enormously large number! If one combination could be tested every second, very conservative estimates show that the chances of a generally correct bone system by random is less than once in 10 billion years.

    "The likelihood of the formation of life from inanimate matter is one out of 10^40,000." Sir Fred Hoyle, professor of astronomy, Cambridge University

    [*]Fossil record

    For the theory of evolution to hold water, the fossil record should contain millions of "transitional forms". We should be unearthing them all the time, but we aren't.

    [*]No "transitional forms" today

    Today, we see only whole dogs, cats, birds, dolphins, and so on. We do not see creatures that are half cow and half donkey, or half dog and half cat. They don't exist.

    [*]Origin of the Sexes

    Almost all forms of complex life have both male and female forms. Which came first according to evolutionary theory? We have already seen the odds that life could form by random chance. How much greater are the odds that separate sexes evolved at the same time?

    [*]Irreducible Complexity

    In his book Darwin's Black Box, evolutionist and biochemistry professor Michael J. Behe refers to something he calls "irreducible complexity" as a "powerful challenge to Darwinian evolution". He gives a simple example: the mousetrap. A mousetrap has five major components that make it functional. If any one of these components is missing, it will not function!

    If we take a look (:D) at the human eye, we will see this same principle of irreducible complexity. The eye cannot be reduced to anything less than it is. The eye contains some 100,000,000 light-sensitive cells that send information to the brain through 1,000,000 nerve fibers. The brain receives the data and processes it, analyzing it and combining it into an image.

    The brain itself contains 400,000 kilometers of nerve fibers connecting some 100,000,000,000 nerve cells. If just one of the components of the brain was missing, the entire system would break down.

    Every time you see a newspaper, you know it has a creator. Every time you see a watch, you know it has a designer. Every time you see a painting, you know there is an artist. Every time you see order, such as a well-timed fireworks display, you know there was an orderer.

    When you look around the universe, what do you see? You see creation, design, art, and order. If everything you see around you has a creator, a designer, an artist, and an orderer, why would the universe not also have a Creator, Designer, Artist, and Orderer?

    [*]Perfect Conditions

    Slight variations in physical laws such as gravity or electromagnetism would make life impossible; the same applies with about 30-40 other important physical quantities. If any of these had slightly different values, life could not exist.

    Likewise, if the Earth was just a little closer to the Sun, it would burn up; and if it were a little further from the Sun, it would freeze. (Take Venus and Mars as examples)

    [*]Cain's Wife

    Many people cite this example as a possible "mistake" in the Bible. However, the answer is simple.

    In Genesis 1:28 God instructs Adam and Eve to "...be fruitful and multiply...". The Bible also states (Genesis 5:4) that "(Adam) begat other sons and daughters." Intermarriage would have been allowed by God since there were no other people on the earth.

    In Genesis 4:14, Cain says to God, "...whoever finds me will kill me." Obviously, there were other people at this time. The Bible states that the lifespan was upwards of 1000 years in those days. Adam and Eve could have easily had enough children to continue the human race.

    In retrospect, the answer is not so simple in regards to "evolutionary Cain's" wife.

    There is more that I would like to cover, but this post is getting rather lengthy. I will respond with more comments and thoughts later. :)

    Wierdest Spam Ever?

    in Computer Desk

    Posted

    There may even be a script in the e-mail that checks if you opened it or not.

    That's only possible if they had an image in the e-mail that was downloaded from their server, triggering the script. Good point, though :D

    Since it's a Hotmail account, he's using the built-in Hotmail spam filter.

    Converting Vhs

    in Computer Desk

    Posted

    Grab a video capture card, hook your VCR up to your computer, and capture the video. I have an ATI All-in-Wonder Radeon and I've captured a good amount of VHS footage.

    (The link I posted goes to NewEgg's standalone video capture device category... a compound video card/video capture card like my All-in-Wonder Radeon would also work for you, but that's more expensive and you may not want to replace your current graphics card :D)

    The method of capturing the video depends on the software you are using to do the capturing. Most video capture cards will include some bundled software, but bundled software isn't always great :D I suggest reading product reviews to gauge other users' experiences.

    What Could Be Wrong?

    in Computer Desk

    Posted

    I agree, odd one indeed.

    Let's narrow it down a little. :D Does this still happen if you boot into Safe mode?

    How many background processes do you have? How much memory do you have, and how much is generally available on average? (Task Manager - Performance)

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