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 Knifey Mcstab
I did it for the lulz.
Registered: 01/04/04
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 Do you ever wonder about what drives evolution? 
#10423326 - 05/30/09 03:10 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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I was just staring at the moon thinking about why the sun comes up everyday and why life continues to evolve. Sometimes I have a hard time believing that there wasn't some sort of design in this. I mean, the conditions are perfect for life so it really all just happened randomly? I don't think that's an answer we'll really ever know for sure.
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 learningtofly
Ancient Aliens
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Re: Do you ever wonder about what drives evolution? [Re: Knifey Mcstab]
#10423336 - 05/30/09 03:14 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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I think the "conditions are perfect for life so someone had to make it" concept is a confusion of cause and effect.
But I still wonder what drives it, like why does it even occur? Why not just let species die off and be done with life?
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mellowparty
legitimate researcher
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Re: Do you ever wonder about what drives evolution? [Re: learningtofly]
#10423350 - 05/30/09 03:22 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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Well my friend it seems that I have the right video for you - I am a big fen of biology and stuff and that video really turned my perception of evolution. It is called 'Unlocking the mystery of life'. Watch it!
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Knifey Mcstab
I did it for the lulz.
Registered: 01/04/04
Posts: 4,828
Loc: PNW
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Re: Do you ever wonder about what drives evolution? [Re: mellowparty]
#10423382 - 05/30/09 03:35 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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I'll see if I can procure a copy.
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Kada
Asha'man
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Re: Do you ever wonder about what drives evolution? [Re: mellowparty]
#10423383 - 05/30/09 03:35 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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Don't you all know by now that jesus made everything?
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~The Cultivators Motherload~
"I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them.
I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do." -Robert A. Heinlein
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My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness."-Dalai Lama
Live long and prosper.
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Frost
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Re: Do you ever wonder about what drives evolution? [Re: mellowparty]
#10423398 - 05/30/09 03:38 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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A roll of the dice, my friends.
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LogicaL Chaos
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 Re: Do you ever wonder about what drives evolution? [Re: Knifey Mcstab]
#10423504 - 05/30/09 04:14 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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I wonder the same thing when I look up at the near-infinite number of stars in the sky. Why is it all there? What's its purpose? Why is there anything at all?
If your curious how evolution occurs, there is one important factor to consider: Evolution has been occuring for millions if not billions of years, since life started on our planet around 3.5 billion years ago.
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Evolution: According to Darwin's "Theory of Evolution" & "Natural Selection", its basically broken into 4 different parts (its a Biology lesson):
(1) There is variation within populations. Examples: humans from the same "race" (which is a social concept, NOT a biological reality) have variety within their population, like how NOT all whites look the same, NOT all blacks have the same skin color (to name a few). Hell, the human species IS a population, and there is lot of variation within it.
(2) Those variations in DNA are passed on to their offspring. That's why we we look like our parents, we carry their genes, 50/50 ratio between our father and mother. We also carry the DNA of MANY generations of humans before our parents, I mean WAY back, like millions of years (yes, Jesus fans, the earth IS older than 6,000 years, its actually around 4.7 billion years old).
(3) Organisms have "Great Powers" of reproduction, or have a strong ability to reproduce themselves. The best example I can think of is how much sperm is in a single male orgasm: up to thousands of the little guys, all competing with each other for that women's egg. That's a lot trying to find that women's eggs. Here's another example: gnats, especially mushroom gnats. They can reproduce at impressive rates, and this is was this is talking about. Basically, organisms with great powers to reproduce continue to live and evolve.
(4) Due to the limited amount of resources, many offspring DO NOT survive. Of course, this is not really relevant to humans, except in impoverish, 3rd-world places in the world. But our ancient ancestors, like Homo Erectus (go ahead, make your gay penis jokes, but I won't read 'em!), they endured many deaths and were put thru a bottle-neck, which is when the size of the population is "pushed" to a much smaller size, leaving less genetic diversity in the resulting population. Of course, a lot of animals in the wild go thru this every day, due to predation, unstable/harsh weather, human development, etc., which is why some animals have survived with the trait to produce LOTS of young at one time (flies and mosquitoes come to mind).
And (4) can be broken down into 2 separate parts...
(4 A) Those with traits that give them a higher chance of surviving to reproduce will leave *more* offspring. This is "Survival of the Fittest".
The organism that is most "fit" for their habitat will survive and pass their genes on, like in (2).
(4 B) The unequal ability to survive & reproduce will lead to the accumulation of favorable traits. Again, its "Survival of the Fittest", but the inclusion that those "desirable traits" are being passed onto the next generation, because they have helped the organism survive to the age of reproduction and then successful create offspring.
But you know what actually causes evolution at the most elemental level?
- Mutation in alleles and/or genes. Basically, changes in a allele or gene in the DNA of the organism. Its at a genetic level, and many things can cause mutations of these alleles/genes, but its too complicated for me to explain. I'd just bore you anyway.
Just remember this: Evolution occurs at the DNA level because of changes in Alleles/Genes over typically long-periods of time.
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I hope that helps explain to you why Evolution has occurred.
Then again, maybe your just thinking about it philosophically or spiritually and not scientifically.
If so, sorry for the explanation. At least you learned something right?
Spreading the "Wealth",
~ LogicaL Chaos ~
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smac1009
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Re: Do you ever wonder about what drives evolution? [Re: LogicaL Chaos]
#10423521 - 05/30/09 04:23 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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OP, I wonder about this all the time. I'm a big fan of evolutionary biology (majoring in it right now) so this kind of shit fascinates me.
And to be honest, I don't think human beings will ever be able to figure out the answer to this fundamental question, that is, why evolution happens.
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Knifey Mcstab
I did it for the lulz.
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Re: Do you ever wonder about what drives evolution? [Re: smac1009]
#10423535 - 05/30/09 04:31 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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I enjoyed the post LG I guess my question was more philosophical then anything. I just wonder why everything is so perfect for life. Why is the sun the perfect distance away from the earth? It's crazy.
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LogicaL Chaos
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 Re: Do you ever wonder about what drives evolution? [Re: Knifey Mcstab]
#10423551 - 05/30/09 04:42 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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Oh, I assumed it was philosophical. I'm glad you liked my post! I actually had to grab my folder to review my notes in order to explain evolution throughly.
But, I used to think about those questions all the time. Back in high-school, I questioned everything's propose only to see my life as pointless in the grand scheme of the Universe. Not a good road to follow. Now I think my life has more meaning, more purpose, but I'm still not really sure what it is. And I have to thank Shrooms, LSD, and weed for that one: I really believe they helped me see meaning in my otherwise pointless life on this Earth, among the empty, vast nothingness that is the Universe.
It is crazy to think our planet was at just the right distance from the Sun: too close, all water would boil and fry the Earth. Too far, and all water would freeze, and turn the Earth into a frozen wasteland. Our planet is nothing short of a Galactic Miracle.
I just hope were not alone in this *unbelievably* vast Universe we live inside.
Don't you?
~ LogicaL Chaos ~
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mellowparty
legitimate researcher
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Re: Do you ever wonder about what drives evolution? [Re: LogicaL Chaos]
#10423673 - 05/30/09 05:33 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
I enjoyed the post LG I guess my question was more philosophical then anything. I just wonder why everything is so perfect for life. Why is the sun the perfect distance away from the earth? It's crazy.
I guess that it is a cosmic probability. And there is no need to tell how big the universe is (it is beyond your imagination) and the perfect conditions may have formed in many many places though out it. Therefore it is irrational to assume that life is unique to the boundaries of our solar system. I will be extremely happy if one day I have the opportunity to examine an alien life form of any kind - even a bacteria or even an alien DNA strand (or whatever it is using to store info).
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Az0th
quantum transfiguration
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Re: Do you ever wonder about what drives evolution? [Re: Knifey Mcstab]
#10423675 - 05/30/09 05:34 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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Creation drives evolution.. it's the neverending cycle of the snake eating itself.
Must experience different facets in order to evolve, hey what are we doing here hmm...
Once we make open contact with the aliens, we may uncover a few new surprises on the natures of reality.
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~Thought Creates Reality~
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deCypher
Registered: 02/10/08
Posts: 53,700
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Re: Do you ever wonder about what drives evolution? [Re: Knifey Mcstab]
#10423759 - 05/30/09 05:54 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Mandrake said:
I was just staring at the moon thinking about why the sun comes up everyday and why life continues to evolve. Sometimes I have a hard time believing that there wasn't some sort of design in this. I mean, the conditions are perfect for life so it really all just happened randomly? I don't think that's an answer we'll really ever know for sure.
I don't believe in teleological evolution. As far as why the conditions are so perfect for life, consider this: if the conditions weren't perfect for life then we wouldn't be here asking that question.
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We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
  
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Knifey Mcstab
I did it for the lulz.
Registered: 01/04/04
Posts: 4,828
Loc: PNW
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Re: Do you ever wonder about what drives evolution? [Re: deCypher]
#10423919 - 05/30/09 07:40 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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Yes, but I don't believe that makes the question any less valid.
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deCypher
Registered: 02/10/08
Posts: 53,700
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Re: Do you ever wonder about what drives evolution? [Re: Knifey Mcstab]
#10423924 - 05/30/09 07:42 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Mandrake said:
Yes, but I don't believe that makes the question any less valid.
Granted, but I don't think you can use that question as evidence for a Creator or designer as a lot of people like to do. See criticisms of the anthropic principle.
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We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
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Knifey Mcstab
I did it for the lulz.
Registered: 01/04/04
Posts: 4,828
Loc: PNW
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Re: Do you ever wonder about what drives evolution? [Re: deCypher]
#10423934 - 05/30/09 07:47 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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Well I'm not saying a god came down here and created everything...
Actually I'll keep my theories to myself, suffice it to say my concept of a god isn't the standard definition.
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mellowparty
legitimate researcher
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Re: Do you ever wonder about what drives evolution? [Re: Knifey Mcstab]
#10424014 - 05/30/09 08:44 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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What are u thinking? I think that all there is in the universe is energy either in condensed form or any other type.
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Apollyphelion
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Re: Do you ever wonder about what drives evolution? [Re: Knifey Mcstab]
#10424016 - 05/30/09 08:45 AM (3 years, 11 months ago) |
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I wonder if it is standard or automatic?
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