Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 beta 3/9/83; site sdcrdcf.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!alan From: alan@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Alan Algustyniak) Newsgroups: net.religion Subject: Re: Annotating Annotated Annotators Message-ID: <1068@sdcrdcf.UUCP> Date: Mon, 7-May-84 16:02:39 EDT Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.1068 Posted: Mon May 7 16:02:39 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 9-May-84 03:21:38 EDT References: <438@opus.UUCP> <752@akgua.UUCP> Reply-To: alan@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Alan Algustyniak) Organization: System Development Corporation, Santa Monica Lines: 33 While i'm no great fan of Carl Sagan, he is not being inconsistant. You have to listen more carefully. You see, there is a difference between evolution and the theory of evoultion. When/if Sagan said: Evolution is a fact, he was simply stating that there is overwhelming evidence that life has been and is evolving. I don't know of any objective scientist who would argue with that. But man still doesn't understand completely the mechanisms by which this evolution takes place. The best models so far still leave unanswered questions, and there is a lot more for man to learn about it. As he learns more, this model undergoes changes to conform better and better to the facts as we find them. This MODEL is the theory of evolution; and it is, indeed, a theory. The idea that evolution takes place, somehow or another, is considered by "the scientists" to be a fact. ------ It's somewhat analagous to the classical theory of gravity. The fact that things fall is a fact; the model the classissists use to explain it is a theory. In fact, we know that it is only an approximation, since we now know(?) that the gravitational force also depends on mass density. Falling objects are a fact; man's best explanation of it so far, is a theory. Likewise, what Sagan was saying is that evolution is a fact; man's best explanation of it so far, is a theory. Alan Algustyniak (sdccsu3!sdcrdcf!alan) (ucbvax!ucla-vax!sdcrdcf!alan) (allegra!sdcrdcf!alan) (decvax!trw-unix!sdcrdcf!alan) (cbosgd!sdcrdcf!alan)