Evolution vs. Creationism
This is a pretty dicey debate among some people. But. For crying out loud. Please do not bring my dogs into this. That is where I draw the line.
So the question that gets volleyed back and forth, is this. Did modern life on Earth evolve over millions of years? Or…. was it all created in the wave of a hand by God?
That is just how this age old debate goes… between the scientists and creationists. Well… at least since our boy Charles Darwin came forth with his theory. That was in 1859. Chuckers. And the Monkeys.
You all know. I am a science head. I like things explained to me, clean and clear. So. It is difficult for me to ignore some scientific facts. The planet Earth is about 4.5 billion years old. (Atomic Decay Measurements, eg.) It has also been proven that all life evolved from primitive, single-celled organisms.
On the other side of that are the Biblical literalists. They reject this evidence because of their faith in the writings of the Bible. Specifically, the Book of Genesis …. which gives us a historical account of creation.
(If you are really interested in the science argument, you can Google it. Measurements of atomic decay are generally considered one of the most accurate ways of measuring the age of an object, and these measurements form the basis for the scientifically accepted age of the Earth.)
(If you are really interested in the creationists argument, pick up any bible and read Genesis.)
Now, I’m not going to tell you one or the other is absolutely correct or incorrect. That is for every person to decide.
However, I saw an interview yesterday morning with Thomas Wolfe. He is best known for writing Bonfire of the Vanities, and The Right Stuff. He has a new book out…. in which he argues speech, not evolution, is responsible for humanity’s highest achievements.
He denounces Charles Darwin.
He says the theory of evolution is a myth. He bases this argument on the following fuzzy logic. Evolution claims that human beings evolved from animals. But instead, he says that we are creatures with totally different powers. He says if you have the power of speech, it requires the power of memory. And animals can’t do that.
DUUUUDDDDDE. Dude. Duuuude.
YOU have never been pals with a dog or a cat have you? OR even a goose?
I need to write Mr. Bonfire a little letter. Because… the world of animals completely rocks.
Yes. My dogs, all three of them… have memories like you would not believe. In fact, much of their daily behaviors clearly show this. First and foremost, they remember who I am. Like crazy. They know where they live. They remember where they sleep, eat, pee, and they remember where their cookie jar resides. And, they know what I say. In fact, I have to spell around them. A lot.
Soooooooo … if you’ve ever thought your dog could understand what you’re saying, you may have been right. There is brand new research proving this.
Researchers in Hungary have investigated and recorded the brain activity of dogs, confirming that they not only understand the words we speak, but also how we say them.
(Published in the Journal Science and led by Attila Andics, a research fellow at Eotvos Lorand University) The study reports that dogs can distinguish words and the intonation of human speech much as humans do. Speech Mr. Wolfe. Speech Wolfe….. Speak. Woof.
And of course, the question still remains. Evolution or Creation. Or maybe both. I simply can not say, either way, here. But.
I am betting my dogs know the answer. They just aren’t saying….
And don’t even get me started on cats.