Should we reopen the book on Evolution?

Absence of evidence does not constitute evidence of absence.

Here is the deal. I did not disagree with your statement that we cannot know that life exists elsewhere until proof is obtained. But . . . that lack of absolute proof in no way suggests that we can't assess the likelyhood of it by valid methods.

As I have told you many times before, we do not live in a black and white world. Just because we do not yet know everything does not mean that we know nothing.

I did not. You lie.

No, it is you who does not understand the rule of large numbers.

Exactly. The elements that comprise life on earth exist in abundance throughout the universe and the natural processes that permit life on earth exist in billions of places unless earth was created instead of evolving by natural processes. Which team are you on anyway?

By God, martin is now acknowledging his soul! It is after all the only part of you that is any way unique as a life form.

Hallelujah! Amen.

 

Shooting stupid crap full of holes is tremendous fun. Nothing like it. It's why you are one of my favorite people. :hihi:

 

Like all natural processes, science evolves. Mistakes are sometimes made, they are discovered, then better explanations are found. Just because one Chinese tried to fake a fossil for profit does not invalidate the hundreds of thousands of specimens that do withstand peer scrutiny and are accepted as valid. As soon as independent paleontologists were allowed to see the specimen, serious questions were raised.

What this episode demonstrates is the need for close scientific scrutiny of purported "missing links" published in journals which are not peer-reviewed. National Geographic, despite its stature, is a poplular science magazine, not a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

In their attempt to get a "scoop", they tripped on the peckers. But this scandal is not about fraud involving paleontology. The paleontologists were not fooled. The scandal is about the profiteering among amateur fossil hunters, especially foreign fossil hunters operating outside recognized scientific communities and motivated by money to fake artifacts. It is also about National Geographic foolishly evading the normal peer reviews to get an exclusive story.

Many creationists have tried to use this to cast doubt on evolutionary theory. "Archaeoraptor" was a forgery, but many dozens of valid fossils of feathered dinosaurs have been found, survived scrutiny, and demonstrate the evolutionary connection between birds and other theropods.