Why is it important to study evolution?

Question: Why is it important to study evolution!?

Why is it important to study evolution!?

-What are the most important elements to understnd human evolution!?
-What are some misconceptions of evolution!?

Please give detail
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Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

To learn why it is important to study evolution and what the most basic and important elements are, I suggest you read my source (from Berkeley)!. The purpose of the site is to answer those questions you're asking!.

Common misconceptions about evolution include:
- Thinking that because we don’t fully understand the Big Bang, that evolution is somehow proved wrong!. (The Big Bang is not even from the same field of science!)
- Thinking that evolution is about the origins of life on earth!. It’s more about the origins of species!. The theory of evolution is an explanation for speciation!. Abiogenesis is about the origins of life!.
- Thinking that evolution somehow disproves God!. A lot of creationists will say this, and the say “But since I know God is real, it must be evolution that is wrong!."
However, many religious people (including many Christians) accept both evolution and the existence of God!. I’m one of them!.
- Thinking that evolution is related to morality in anyway!. It’s no more related to morality than math or something like gravity!. Sure, someone can use their knowledge of gravity to drop a heavy object on someone else and murder them…but that doesn’t make gravity itself immoral!. Science is morally neutral…it doesn’t say how to live your life, it just tries to explain what we see!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

One important element is to understand that environmental issues do indeed affect life!.

Some misconceptions about evolution are:

That people evolved from monkeys!. Though it is generally theorized that there may be a common ancestor!.

That the theory of evolution was created to disprove the existence of God!. In actuality Charles Darwin, one of many pioneers of the theory, was actually raised Lutheran!. Further, Darwin held beliefs about God that were similar to Thomas Jefferson!.

Another misconception is that evolution always leads to greater functionality and superiority!. One thing negative that can be said of Darwin is of his racist view that white people were more highly evolved than black people!. He concluded that since blacks were darker skinned that they must be more closely related to apes than white people!. However, this is a huge misconception!.

First, the idea is ridiculous in that it looks at a small variation, such as skin color, and assumes one is "more evolved" than the other!. It was this idea that lead to arguments about the humanity of some races due to slight physical variances!. But I won't get political here!. But genetically, the difference between races is as slight as the genetic differences in eye color!. Variation does not equal superiority!.

Further, there are evolutionary dead ends!. There have been species that have evolved but have become extinct!. This fact also discredits the idea that evolution leads to "advancement"!.

However, the misconceptions about evolutionary advancement does not discredit the theory altogether!. And, there does actually seem to be a trend in evolution toward more specialized physiological structures!. But, this may result from the concept of "survival of the fittest"!. Some structures, apendages, etc!. do provide some "advantage" over others!. Therefore, the better environmentally suited structures allow oranisms advantages over organisms that do not have these structures!. It's about advantage, not the misconception of advancement!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It is a waste of valuable time!. Some may prefer to think of themselves as "the first generation to walk upright", but I don't!.

There are 3 worlds: The natural world, the spiritual world, and the human world!. Apes belong to the natural world, and humans belong to the human world!. (granted, some politicians act like apes, but that is for another topic!.)

also, it is not possible to believe in Darwin AND be religious!.
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I should have been more specific!.

"also, it is not possible to believe in Darwin (with regard to humans) AND be religious!."

With regard to the millions-of-years vs!. 8000 years: Genesis doesn't start with the creation of the universe - the universe already exists when Genesis starts!. Genesis is merely God explaining to his "creations" (humans) how he ordered it - how he intended the universe and earth to function!. It is all about order and function, not creation!.

Regarding evolving finches and bacteria: Not wanting to overstate the obvious, we are not finches, nor bacteria!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because it has been proven!.

We have seen it in the same finches Darwin originally postulated his theory upon!. In the past 50 years there have been evolutionary branches!.

Because is has been done with bacteria!. A scientist was able to "evolve" a strain of bacteria that was able to thrive in conditions not initially conducive to supporting that particular strain!.

Because it is a way of understanding the world that does not depend on a flawed God (Which any "god" that has been defined is)!.

Because all knowledge is important!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

To understand us (humans)!. I read some of the other responses and saw some pretty closed minded ones!. Evolution is about a slam-dunk now, hence the latest life raft climbed on by the Creationists, Intelligent Design, which if one accepts, they might as well rip Genesis out of their Bibles!.
Once all the biological answers are found to the life process, and (excuse the use) Holy Grail of genetics is found and mapped, someone will clone a human, thus dispose of God!.
Religion will never just fade away, it will always be with us, starting Wars, causing ever-growing conflicts, doing good (or what it’s followers see as good) in our world!. With bio-engineer food now, soon enough for the sake of good or evil someone and or country will bio-engineer humans
We know for a fact the Earth is millions of years old, not the 8000 years or so theologians would have one think, back to Intelligent Design again!. I’ve asked some of the people I know who are of one religious belief or another if they find it unnerving that if their God started evolution, he basically put a token in a slot machine, pulled the lever and sat back to see if he/she’d won or not!. I have as of yet to receive a coherent answer, but with the state of the world today (and we are in the beginnings of an even larger Holy War) I’d say God lost to the house big time!.
Be well all!.
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Theists (esp!. Christians) - Be afraid - be very afraid for if you condemn the teaching (and study) of evolution on the grounds of its questionably then by the same token ALL religious studies are void!.

After all if there is a hole here and there in evolution, religion is a wide grid fence!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

its important so that you won't be ignorant!. the biggest misconception is that it went from chimp to ape to ape-man thing to man!. there have been many species of human beings!. we modern human are the only species that never died out!. we are homo-sapiens sapiens and yes its supposed to have sapiens listed twice!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

to stop the evolution of the superior species! so that you shall stay superior!.!.!.but unable to solve the critical problems that will face you paradoxically because of your greed!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I would say that since evolution isn't true there isn't a point to studying it or it is so that you can prove people wrong who believe in itWww@QuestionHome@Com

It is about our biological roots!. It tells who we are and where we came from!. That we are intelligent apes!.
That we sprang from monkeys or gorillas!. We actually share a common ancestor as does all life on this planet!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

To understand the point-of-view!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

to understand things change!.!. and appply that in all aspects of life!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Its just as important as studying any other science fiction topic!. Www@QuestionHome@Com