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RE: Do we transcend evolution and have we altered it?

in #evolution7 years ago

Religion and Science have typically sought to explain existence. Different approaches to seeking the same thing.

One uses methodology to seek answers (when it is followed).

The other uses faith and speculation. You may not think it is speculation, but if it is the word of another person or a book telling you how a thing is and you cannot test it then that is FAITH if you simply believe. The speculation part comes when people observe something, speculate upon what caused it, which is our natural behavior, and then at some point they decide the speculation is true, and they tell it to others as though it was fact. The part about it initially being a speculation is lost in time. Now you must have faith in speculation.

This does not mean this is not valuable. It is actually the first two steps of the scientific method. 1) Observe, 2) Form a hypothesis (aka speculate an explanation).

Yet it stops there.

The scientific method continues with 3) Experiment to prove the hypothesis, 4) Analyze results... if the experiment failed go back to step 2 (hypothesis) and if it succeeded 5) It becomes a theory.

The thing is that even theories are not without challenge. Another important thing to be able to reach that theory stage is that the experiment must be controlled and documented so others can replicate it. Replication by others is also important for the theory stage.

Science has a problem though. People can get dogmatic about it and state that because they cannot measure a thing it does not exist. This is not the scientific method. They are not practicing science with such statements.

Science can be used to prove something exists. It is not very useful at proving something does not exist.

There are things that are observed that science still struggles to prove/explain.

There are also those who treat science like a religion. It is not. Really if it is followed properly all it really is, is a tool. A conceptual tool called the scientific method. Science itself is the application of the scientific method to find answers, and the repository of knowledge resulting from those searches. Anything else attached to it is not actually science.

Yet it is seeking the same thing as religion.

I've seen an experienced things I could not readily explained. I am very good at speculating. I can usually come up with 3 or 4 different explanations I imagine could explain it. That does not make them suddenly true. I also have no interest in becoming a cult leader and telling people my speculations are the truth.

The thing is some of my speculations may actually be true, or close to it, but it is difficult to know for certain.

The challenge with science is it really only works with things we can measure. So when dealing with things we observe but have not found a way to reliably measure science is not particularly useful with dealing with such things. That does not mean there is nothing there. We simply have yet to find a way to reliably measure it.

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