Preface: I don't know if this is exactly what's intended for the Cigar Lounge, as I am not exactly bringing up a topic to discuss, or asking questions, but I don't know any other place this would go, and this is about intellectual thought and knowledge. Assuming that this is a perfectly fine thread, I will update the OP and then bump the thread as I have more time and come across questions I think people will find interesting (or to answer other questions.)
Recently it's become more clear to me that a lot of people don't really know a lot about evolution, or it's basic tenets. Most people understand the concepts of natural selection, and that species have evolved from other species, but I find that's where a lot of the basic understanding ends. I like to think of myself as rather educated on the topic, and it's really one of the few topics I always yearn to know more about (the others that I can think of being faith, gay rights, and American politics).
What's I'm suggesting is a thread (this one clearly), where others can post questions, or post answers to common misconceptions or misunderstandings about evolution, and then they can be discussed if they are disagreed with, and then added to this OP as a general FAQ on evolution.
For example of the type of things I'm talking about:
Q: If we evolved from apes (or monkeys as some put it), why are the apes/monkeys/chimps still here?
A: That question should be more accurately phrased, "If we're evolved from modern apes, why are the modern apes still here?" The assumption here is that we're evolved from modern apes, and we're not. Without getting in to the exact details, because that's not entirely necessary, we share a common ancestor with chimps, apes, orangutans, etc. Instead of the chain going from other modern primates that exist now to us, the link is from a prior ancestor of ours to modern primates, thus there were more than one evolutionary path. So that's why other primates are still around, we're not on the exact same evolutionary line.
Q: How can you believe that such complex beings (like us for example) occurred by chance?
A: A question like this rather misleading. Evolution doesn't state that a series of chance mutations resulted in a 'perfectly' working system within a specie. If that were the case, the probably of existence of any specie we now have would be extremely low. To clarify: The only chance within evolution is the mutation itself, they do occur by chance. However natural selection does exactly what the name implies, it selects the mutations that are beneficial to that specie.
Here's an example. Let's say there is species X, and two different species X undergo two different mutations, Y & Z respectfully. Let's say that Y is beneficial, and Z is not, it's a hindrance. The species X with the Y mutation (beneficial) will be more successful than regular species X, and thus they will procreate more (as that is the entire purpose for an animal, to spread it's genes). Now that new generation from the specie that had that Y benefit will also inherit that Y benefit, and thus the proportion of creatures with that Y benefit has increased, and this cycle continues. Now hindrance Z is going to hurt the species X with it. Depending on the magnitude of that hindrance, this specific species X might die before procreating, or might create less children, etc. Thus hindrance Z has actually hurt the propagation of that species X's genes. In repeated cycles over generations, that Z mutation will die, whereas the Y mutation will thrive.
This is important to understand because it explains why seemingly perfect working system exist. It's not just the chance combination of a variety of characteristics and mutations, it's the combination of beneficial characteristics and mutations to already beneficial mutations. The bottom line is, if it doesn't improve the specie (the mutation that is), then it doesn't survive. Under this theory, it very much explains how we and many others have become so complex.
Recently it's become more clear to me that a lot of people don't really know a lot about evolution, or it's basic tenets. Most people understand the concepts of natural selection, and that species have evolved from other species, but I find that's where a lot of the basic understanding ends. I like to think of myself as rather educated on the topic, and it's really one of the few topics I always yearn to know more about (the others that I can think of being faith, gay rights, and American politics).
What's I'm suggesting is a thread (this one clearly), where others can post questions, or post answers to common misconceptions or misunderstandings about evolution, and then they can be discussed if they are disagreed with, and then added to this OP as a general FAQ on evolution.
For example of the type of things I'm talking about:
Q: If we evolved from apes (or monkeys as some put it), why are the apes/monkeys/chimps still here?
A: That question should be more accurately phrased, "If we're evolved from modern apes, why are the modern apes still here?" The assumption here is that we're evolved from modern apes, and we're not. Without getting in to the exact details, because that's not entirely necessary, we share a common ancestor with chimps, apes, orangutans, etc. Instead of the chain going from other modern primates that exist now to us, the link is from a prior ancestor of ours to modern primates, thus there were more than one evolutionary path. So that's why other primates are still around, we're not on the exact same evolutionary line.
Q: How can you believe that such complex beings (like us for example) occurred by chance?
A: A question like this rather misleading. Evolution doesn't state that a series of chance mutations resulted in a 'perfectly' working system within a specie. If that were the case, the probably of existence of any specie we now have would be extremely low. To clarify: The only chance within evolution is the mutation itself, they do occur by chance. However natural selection does exactly what the name implies, it selects the mutations that are beneficial to that specie.
Here's an example. Let's say there is species X, and two different species X undergo two different mutations, Y & Z respectfully. Let's say that Y is beneficial, and Z is not, it's a hindrance. The species X with the Y mutation (beneficial) will be more successful than regular species X, and thus they will procreate more (as that is the entire purpose for an animal, to spread it's genes). Now that new generation from the specie that had that Y benefit will also inherit that Y benefit, and thus the proportion of creatures with that Y benefit has increased, and this cycle continues. Now hindrance Z is going to hurt the species X with it. Depending on the magnitude of that hindrance, this specific species X might die before procreating, or might create less children, etc. Thus hindrance Z has actually hurt the propagation of that species X's genes. In repeated cycles over generations, that Z mutation will die, whereas the Y mutation will thrive.
This is important to understand because it explains why seemingly perfect working system exist. It's not just the chance combination of a variety of characteristics and mutations, it's the combination of beneficial characteristics and mutations to already beneficial mutations. The bottom line is, if it doesn't improve the specie (the mutation that is), then it doesn't survive. Under this theory, it very much explains how we and many others have become so complex.
