Letter to the Editor
Editor:
In November, 2004 I was strolling through Logan’s Border’s Bookstore and noticed a very bold headline on the cover of that month’s National Geographic Magazine, ‘WAS DARWIN WRONG?’ The ongoing creationism/intelligent design vs. evolution debate was in full swing one year ago. Intrigued, I opened the magazine wondering if a very big wrench was now being thrown into the debate by an incredibly reliable source. Opening to the beginning of the article, I was met with even larger typeface declaring, ‘NO. THE EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION IS OVERWHELMING.’ Note the word ‘evidence.’ The National Geographic article begins by stating that Einstein’s ideas on relativity is a theory, the notion Earth orbits around the sun rather than vice versa, offered by Copernicus in 1543, is a theory. Continental drift is a theory. The existence, structure, and dynamics of atoms are explained by atomic theory. Electricity is a theoretical construct, involving electrons, which are tiny units of charged mass that no one has ever seen. The Theory of Evolution is in good company.
There may be religious reasons why some refuse to accept evolution theory as fact. It may attributed to a lack of information in our schools, or a barrage of negative, and misleading, information from those who are threatened by evolution, for whatever reasons. Regardless, do not confuse the term ‘theory’ with ‘guess.’ A scientific theory is a statement based on observation or experimentation that explains facets of the observable world so well that it becomes accepted as fact. It is not an idea created out of thin air or an unsubstantiated belief. And The Theory of Evolution is most definitely not a guess. I encourage everyone to find and read this informative and thorough article on evolution in the November, 2004 National Geographic Magazine.
Kevin Doyle