Do you believe in Evolution? - Quick Poll

[RobM77]

I nearly fell off the sofa last night when I heard a statistic on TV that 40% of the UK population don't believe in Darwinian evolution through natural selection. What's the Pistonheads view?

I don't want to start the old religious arguments going again (yawn), so it's just a quick poll Remember that it's anonymous too

[Murdock]

Had to sit through a two hour lecture today on what constitutes a 'fact' and the irrationality of denying them. So at the moment I'm too spent to do anything other than vote.

[_Dan_]

Well pretty conclusive so far!

[RobM77]

Murdock said:

Had to sit through a two hour lecture today on what constitutes a 'fact' and the irrationality of denying them. So at the moment I'm too spent to do anything other than vote.

For the purposes of the poll, I was just assuming that people were "sufficiently convinced by the evidence", thus the inclusion of a "don't know".

[Jem0911]

Four out of four.

[Eric Mc]

Although it's not a question of "belief" is it? It's a question of knowable fact.

So, in reality, I DON'T believe in evolution. I KNOW it is how life works.

[Jasandjules]

Yes, and voted.

[KANEIT]

I don't believe God created us as if he did then he should be sacked as we are not exactly the finished article.

[Puggit]

40% of voters in the poll probably receive hand outs from the government - thus disproving that the weakest fail...

[steven182]

yes.

[RobM77]

For those interested, I heard the 40% statistic on last night's Channel 4 documentary on Darwin. It's a three parter, and the first installment was very good.

40% is a significant amount. Let's hope we get a good few responses to this quick poll and we'll see what the result is

[Bing o]

Puggit said:

40% of voters in the poll probably receive hand outs from the government - thus disproving that the weakest fail...

It's not the weakest, it's the least able to adapt...

You could argue that the success of the chav underclass is precisely down to Darwinism - they have adapted to our benefits culture, and they know that they can supplement this with either petty crime or playing the stress/dodgy back card for extra benefits.

It's the over worked, over taxed middle classes that are too knackered to have a tommy tank much less a night of love making are the ones that are threatened with extinction.

[Smart roadster]

OK who voted for god?

[Eric Mc]

There is no argument anymore that eveolution ISN'T a valid mechanism for explaining species differentiation. It is now a finished debate.

Next.

[RobM77]

The programme was good, but I thought that Dawkins' explanations could have been clearer. Given that he's hold's the post of promoting the public understanding of science at Oxford Uni, I was surprised by that.

He mentioned DNA, and the forensic record of evolution that it contains, but he didn't do the ultimate demonstration in my opinion, which would be to show us how father and son can be linked by looking at DNA typing results (we all know how that can be done - always start by re-enforcing what people know already); and then comparing both father and son to another ape, such as a chimpanzee or Bonobo, and finally a fish or something. Easy to do nowadays and very powerful as a demonstration.

[Puggit]

Eric Mc said:

Next.

PH Link

[Fidgits]

Eric Mc said:

Although it's not a question of "belief" is it? It's a question of knowable fact.

So, in reality, I DON'T believe in evolution. I KNOW it is how life works.

Yeah, its a bit like 'believing in the milkman' just because the milk arrives on a morning.. (okay, a slightly outdated metaphor i know)...

[RobM77]

Eric Mc said:

There is no argument anymore that eveolution ISN'T a valid mechanism for explaining species differentiation. It is now a finished debate.

Next.

you'd think so, but apparently 40% of people don't believe in it! Thus the poll..

[Eric Mc]

Yep - it's called General Ignorance (as Stephen Fry would say) and (as ever) an indictment of scientific education in this country.

[RobM77]

Eric Mc said:

Yep - it's called General Ignorance (as Stephen Fry would say) and (as ever) an indictment of scientific education in this country.

That takes on a new meaning though when there's a church organisation looking for planning permission to create a "Creation Museum" in England, explaining how the Universe was created 6,000 years ago. They hope to attract thousands of school children to visit.