Evidence & Testing in the Scientific Field (Updated 1/8)

[Khrea]

Steampunk Patashu

Khrea

But I still think evolution and God are on 2 separate fields of concepts. Because one may exist it doesn't mean it excludes the other.

Evolution and God are not mutually exclusive, but Evolution and Creationism beliefs definitely are.
(In fact, I don't think anything is mutually exclusive with god except no god.)
Oh, and there are plenty of Christians who think you have to deny evolution to accept God anyway, so... xd

I agree!

The degree of which people discuss evolution and/or how much they follow the traditional sense of creationism differs.

But this isn't about following rules and using the Bible to label yourself unless God came up to you and told you so. Otherwise don't inhibit yourself from thinking outside the lines.

[VoijaRisa]

Khrea

Understanding what makes a valid experiement is the most important part and yet a lot of people, even scientists themselves overlook it.

I gotta disagree here. Since the scientific field is subject to critical peer review, all scientists that intend to publish must know what constitutes good experimental procedure. Every university science major will have a lab course in it somewhere that discusses experimental procedure, data reduction, analysis, etc... That experience also comes through internships that most scientists will undergo as well as direct research experience in graduate school.

[mitoguard]

VoijaRisa

Khrea

Understanding what makes a valid experiement is the most important part and yet a lot of people, even scientists themselves overlook it.

I gotta disagree here. Since the scientific field is subject to critical peer review, all scientists that intend to publish must know what constitutes good experimental procedure. Every university science major will have a lab course in it somewhere that discusses experimental procedure, data reduction, analysis, etc... That experience also comes through internships that most scientists will undergo as well as direct research experience in graduate school.

My favorite is when Orson Scott Card suggested of the IPCC AR4 report that each individual's contributions and analyses were published without review from others.

The things people say to affirm their beliefs in the face of good research practice.

On that note: what is it with Sci-Fi authors thinking they're scientists?

[Khrea]

VoijaRisa

Khrea

Understanding what makes a valid experiement is the most important part and yet a lot of people, even scientists themselves overlook it.

I gotta disagree here. Since the scientific field is subject to critical peer review, all scientists that intend to publish must know what constitutes good experimental procedure. Every university science major will have a lab course in it somewhere that discusses experimental procedure, data reduction, analysis, etc... That experience also comes through internships that most scientists will undergo as well as direct research experience in graduate school.

I'm a college/university student myself. I was applying my point to people like myself and other scientists who aren't perfect or who are still learning the practice. Which is why I endorse your topic and the peer review aspect of scientific research. I'm probably just restating what you said but I was focusing more on genuine understanding of the method and why it is the way it is rather than just blindly following the rules to jump on the bandwagon.

[VoijaRisa]

Updated: Added discussion on Cambrian Explosion.

Still working on additional section on statistics and macrostates vs. microstates.

[shnag]

very good post. though, the irony is i doubt many creationist take the time to read it insted plug their ears and say "La La LA!"

[VoijaRisa]

shnag

very good post. though, the irony is i doubt many creationist take the time to read it insted plug their ears and say "La La LA!"

I didn't think many would read it. The purpose of this was more to have something to link to and say "read this" every time some creationist said there's "gaps" or that there's "no evidence" or that evolution is "untestable".

Still need to finish the update I've been working on on macrostates vs. microstates...

[VoijaRisa]

Added another small update today.

[VoijaRisa]

Added another update on limiting cases for evolution and darwin units.

[Mixolydia]

I just realised that I totally could've whored this thread out in mine during my update.

HAHA I'm retarded.

ninja I'll fix that now.

[VoijaRisa]

Finally finished my large update on Macrostates vs Microstates, Probability, and the Second Law to first page.

[Healer Guy]

You've gotten me interested in thermodynamics and evolutionary biology.
This thread is great!


Also I'm no astronomy major but I own a telescope, and it was really neat to actually see Saturn.
It's totally different when you see it with your own eyes. Just seeing pictures of it and knowing that it's "out there" doesn't do it justice.
I never really connected the dots that it's really a gigantic ball many times the size of earth, and it's floating around in the vacuum.
I found it by accident when it was sitting right below the moon one night. blaugh

[CommandoDude]

VoijaRisa

Facts, as big and important as they sound, are actually quite useless in science. Since for all you know, gravity could turn off tomorrow and we’d all float away.

Erm, those are incomparable, Gravity is actually a THEORY, therefor ISN'T a complete fact.

Try again.

[VoijaRisa]

CommandoDude

VoijaRisa

Facts, as big and important as they sound, are actually quite useless in science. Since for all you know, gravity could turn off tomorrow and we’d all float away.

Erm, those are incomparable, Gravity is actually a THEORY, therefor ISN'T a complete fact.

Try again.

That was the point. Gravity is a theory. I've taken the liberty of highlighting the reason.