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NEXTopia
Welcome to NEXTopia, a Web diary in which NEXT writers — and readers — share their evolving thoughts on a variety of issues. The opinions you read below are those of the individual writers, not necessarily those representing The Seattle Times.
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March 12, 2004
| Evolution of evolution |
Ohio is again facing controversy over teaching evolution in schools. This time, it has approved a curriculum that includes evolutionary theory, but it is a specialized branch of that theory called "Intelligent Design."
Intelligent Design teaches that life is too complex to have occurred through natural selection and random change, so it must have been "designed" by a greater intelligence. In other words, it is evolution, but evolution created and guided by some divine hand.
I view this as progress. However, my concern is that this is supposed to be a science class, not a philosophy class, and the "MUST have been designed" part is extremely unscientific. Divine guidance is not the most likely answer, nor is it at all scientifically proveable, unlike evolution and natural selection. This doesn't mean there isn't a god, only that one isn't necessary for our existence.
Our galaxy has between 100 and 400 billion stars, and we are just one in 140 billion or so galaxies in our universe, which may be one in an infinity of universes. It is just a matter of odds, as unpoetic as that may be. The events that led to our existence are amazing, even miraculous, and certainly so immense in scope it is difficult to comprehend easily, but they are comprehensible. A good book to help understand this is "Climbing Mount Improbable" by Richard Dawkins.
Frank Drake worked out a famous equation. You divide the number of stars in any one part of the universe by the number likely to have planetary systems. Divide those by the number that could likely support life. Divide those by the number of planets where life would likely have advanced as far as we have, etc. etc. Even with the most conservative estimates, the number of likely alien civilizations in the Milky Way alone is in the millions.
This is of course a blow to our enormous egos, just as the thought that we are basically smarter versions of chimpanzees is. But for now, I say teach evolution in science class, mention "intelligent design" as a valid philosophy, and refer students to their philosophy class for more information on it.
Written by Randy Henderson of NEXT
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| Posted by Colleen Pohlig at March 12, 2004 02:22 PM |
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