Evolution. If there’s something that gets Christians going more than pre-marital sex, it’s this bad boy. Evolution is the novel idea that the world is incredibly old (several billion years in fact), and that modern life has slowly developed, rather than spontaneously appearing 6000 years ago. The idea is that random changes in DNA sequences leads to the development of certain traits in life forms, some of which are favourable, allowing a creature to become better adapted to their environment and/or to have a better chance of survival. There are a lot of myths about evolution floating around, so let’s dig down into some of them:
Myth 1: I can still get an A+ in CELS191 if I don’t believe in evolution
I mean, it’s possible, but if you don’t believe in the science underpinning this paper, why fucking bother (oh that’s right, to get into med school and deny patients abortions later in life).
Myth 2: Humans are descended from chimpanzees
Not correct. Humans are very closely related to chimpanzees, however we share a “common ancestor,” rather than being descended from them directly. It’s quite possible in fact that our common ancestor was bipedal (walked on 2 legs), rather than being a climbing creature.
Myth 3: Creatures evolve by natural selection
Natural selection is best defined as an environmental pressure that favours certain traits or characteristics for survival. It is one of evolution’s selection pressures, however there are others: sexual selection (certain traits making it more likely for a creature to reproduce), or genetic drift (events causing survival of traits randomly, rather than because of them being especially favourable).
Myth 4: Richard Dawkins is a cunt
OK, this isn’t a myth. Much like that med student who told you he’d help you with your CHEM191 study if you went home with him, Richard Dawkins is indeed a cunt. However that doesn’t make evolution any less true. You can’t ignore evidence just because you dislike the messenger.