Happy Evolution Day!

[GenesisNemesis]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_Day

Evolution Day is a celebration to commemorate the anniversary of the initial publication of On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin on 24 November 1859.[1][2][3][4] Such celebrations have been held for over a century, but the specific term "Evolution Day" for the anniversary appears to be a neologism which was coined prior to 1997.[1] By highlighting Darwin's contributions to science, the day's events are used to educate about evolutionary biology.[5] It is similar to the better-known Darwin Day, held on the anniversary of his birth (12 February 1809).[6] It is unrelated to the secularization campaign by the Giordano Bruno Foundation to have the German public holiday of Ascension Day renamed to "Evolutionstag" (Evolution Day).

 

[Politesse]

Most people know that most holidays are commercial bullshit of some sort or another, so I'm not sure attaching a scientific theory to one is necessarily a good idea...

Cheers on the anniversary though! It could be argued that without the publication of Origin, my entire discipline would not exist, so I owe old Charles a great deal.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

Most people know that most holidays are commercial bullshit of some sort or another, so I'm not sure attaching a scientific theory to one is necessarily a good idea...

Cheers on the anniversary though!

I'm all for holidays that actually would reflect valuing education and freedom of thought. That would actually be useful for society.

 

[Politesse]

Most people know that most holidays are commercial bullshit of some sort or another, so I'm not sure attaching a scientific theory to one is necessarily a good idea...

Cheers on the anniversary though!

I'm all for holidays that actually would reflect valuing education and freedom of thought. That would actually be useful for society.

I suppose. I'm just worried that declaring a pubic holiday is an endorsement that might induce guilt-by-association! I'm not a big fan of civic holidays to begin with though, so perhaps I'm just getting crochety in my old age.

 

[Keith&Co.]

Most people know that most holidays are commercial bullshit of some sort or another, so I'm not sure attaching a scientific theory to one is necessarily a good idea...

I would welcome this holiday being commercialized.

Just imagine if the scientific consensus was championed, not demonized or marginalized.

Bookstores playing Thomas Dolby's Blinded Me With Science, Was (Not Was)'s Walk The Dinosaur, Madness' Our Replicators, Mariah Carey's cover of Alley Oop.

 

[abaddon]

Most people know that most holidays are commercial bullshit of some sort or another, so I'm not sure attaching a scientific theory to one is necessarily a good idea...

I would welcome this holiday being commercialized.

Just imagine if the scientific consensus was championed, not demonized or marginalized.

This^^. The commercialism would be a valorization of the holiday. It'd mean the idea had gained popularity and stirs excitement.

 

[rousseau]

I know when I'm looking to relax with family and friends, what I want to celebrate is a scientific theory that tells me my existence is arbitrary, and not even a birthday in sight!

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

I am doing my duty to Darwin to evolve. I just got some Guinness Extra Stout and will drink a toast to Darwin, evolution, and "Origin Of The Species.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

I know when I'm looking to relax with family and friends, what I want to celebrate is a scientific theory that tells me my existence is arbitrary, and not even a birthday in sight!

You can join Lion IRC and sulk about the "dangers" of evolutionary theory then. Besides, no one's forcing you to celebrate it.

 

[skepticalbip]

I know when I'm looking to relax with family and friends, what I want to celebrate is a scientific theory that tells me my existence is arbitrary, and not even a birthday in sight!

But you're not arbitrary. You are the result of billions of years of continual modification and selection that resulted in you nicely fitting your environmental niche.

 

[rousseau]

I know when I'm looking to relax with family and friends, what I want to celebrate is a scientific theory that tells me my existence is arbitrary, and not even a birthday in sight!

You can join Lion IRC and sulk about the "dangers" of evolutionary theory then. Besides, no one's forcing you to celebrate it.

You missed the joke, my friend. Stop being so serious all the time - life doesn't have to be unending war.

It was tongue-in-cheek. My point was that there can be scientific consensus, and respect for science, but nobody is ever going to celebrate evolution. Can you imagine? Getting together with your in-laws over drinks, pulling out a chemistry textbook, and discussing free-will at length?

The reality is that people don't want to hear this stuff, they don't want to think about this stuff, they don't want to know the implications of science. This is the reason why religion is so popular in the first place - it eases the harsher aspects of living. Most people in my city have a lot of respect for science, but I can tell you they'd tune me out pretty quickly if I started talking about evolutionary psychology.

And if it wasn't clear enough, I was responding to the few posts before my post, not you.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

I know when I'm looking to relax with family and friends, what I want to celebrate is a scientific theory that tells me my existence is arbitrary, and not even a birthday in sight!

But you're not arbitrary. You are the result of billions of years of continual modification and selection that resulted in you nicely fitting your environmental niche.

He will be arbitrary if he keeps this shit up.

 

[ideologyhunter]

Weird, matted hair; posture off-center; gives full vent to aggressive impulses; embraces tribal rituals; rudimentary speech; idol-based belief system...is Trump the missing link?
I left out incessant, frenzied masturbation.

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

The one good thing about Trump being president is that being continually surrounded by Secret Service agents, his opportunities to grab pussies and commit rape is severely curtailed.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

I know when I'm looking to relax with family and friends, what I want to celebrate is a scientific theory that tells me my existence is arbitrary, and not even a birthday in sight!

You can join Lion IRC and sulk about the "dangers" of evolutionary theory then. Besides, no one's forcing you to celebrate it.

You missed the joke, my friend. Stop being so serious all the time - life doesn't have to be unending war.

It was tongue-in-cheek. My point was that there can be scientific consensus, and respect for science, but nobody is ever going to celebrate evolution. Can you imagine? Getting together with your in-laws over drinks, pulling out a chemistry textbook, and discussing free-will at length?

The reality is that people don't want to hear this stuff, they don't want to think about this stuff, they don't want to know the implications of science. This is the reason why religion is so popular in the first place - it eases the harsher aspects of living. Most people in my city have a lot of respect for science, but I can tell you they'd tune me out pretty quickly if I started talking about evolutionary psychology.

And if it wasn't clear enough, I was responding to the few posts before my post, not you.

My bad then. But I don't agree it could never catch on and that doesn't stop me from seeing value in celebrating it even if it doesn't catch on.

 

[abaddon]

... My point was that there can be scientific consensus, and respect for science, but nobody is ever going to celebrate evolution. Can you imagine? Getting together with your in-laws over drinks, pulling out a chemistry textbook, and discussing free-will at length?

The reality is that people don't want to hear this stuff, they don't want to think about this stuff, they don't want to know the implications of science. This is the reason why religion is so popular in the first place - it eases the harsher aspects of living. Most people in my city have a lot of respect for science, but I can tell you they'd tune me out pretty quickly if I started talking about evolutionary psychology.

This kind of thinking gives everything away to religion and makes 'being secular' into self-mutilation.

Evolution is a great origins tale. It's a wondrous story with the added benefit of being true.

Why imagine there's nothing to tell about it than facts from textbooks?

Humans are myth-making beings; we live by the narratives we tell. Is that a problem to be overcome? No, or else why not just slice pieces off of our bodies too while at it? Make a myth of evolution. A true guiding narrative. People need to know their relation with the rest of life and the cosmos, why offer that their only choice is superstition or boring facts?

 

[Politesse]

I know when I'm looking to relax with family and friends, what I want to celebrate is a scientific theory that tells me my existence is arbitrary, and not even a birthday in sight!

Not arbitrary! Your ancestors outperformed all other potential claimants to their niche!

 

[rousseau]

You missed the joke, my friend. Stop being so serious all the time - life doesn't have to be unending war.

It was tongue-in-cheek. My point was that there can be scientific consensus, and respect for science, but nobody is ever going to celebrate evolution. Can you imagine? Getting together with your in-laws over drinks, pulling out a chemistry textbook, and discussing free-will at length?

The reality is that people don't want to hear this stuff, they don't want to think about this stuff, they don't want to know the implications of science. This is the reason why religion is so popular in the first place - it eases the harsher aspects of living. Most people in my city have a lot of respect for science, but I can tell you they'd tune me out pretty quickly if I started talking about evolutionary psychology.

And if it wasn't clear enough, I was responding to the few posts before my post, not you.

My bad then. But I don't agree it could never catch on and that doesn't stop me from seeing value in celebrating it even if it doesn't catch on.

I think it being marked by a day is a great thing, similar to many other 'days'. Every now and then we need someone or something to prompt us to think about a new idea. I just grinned at the idea of it ever being commercialized.

 

[rousseau]

... My point was that there can be scientific consensus, and respect for science, but nobody is ever going to celebrate evolution. Can you imagine? Getting together with your in-laws over drinks, pulling out a chemistry textbook, and discussing free-will at length?

The reality is that people don't want to hear this stuff, they don't want to think about this stuff, they don't want to know the implications of science. This is the reason why religion is so popular in the first place - it eases the harsher aspects of living. Most people in my city have a lot of respect for science, but I can tell you they'd tune me out pretty quickly if I started talking about evolutionary psychology.

This kind of thinking gives everything away to religion and makes 'being secular' into self-mutilation.

Evolution is a great origins tale. It's a wondrous story with the added benefit of being true.

Why imagine there's nothing to tell about it than facts from textbooks?

Humans are myth-making beings; we live by the narratives we tell. Is that a problem to be overcome? No, or else why not just slice pieces off of our bodies too while at it? Make a myth of evolution. A true guiding narrative. People need to know their relation with the rest of life and the cosmos, why offer that their only choice is superstition or boring facts?

There was a reason that Christmas was overtaken as a religious holiday to one that is secular, but without mention of any religious or existential ideas. It's because many of us are happy to not dwell on religion itself, but to some extent mystery, magic, and beauty are still central to our experience of the world.

Curiosity is a niche that only some of us inhabit, it's not a central feature of our species, nor will it ever be. I think many atheists today are happy to say - ok fair enough, heaven is a ridiculous idea - but at the same time have no intrinsic drive to go beyond that, and are actually sometimes disinclined to seek truth.

Truthfully, in my opinion we don't need a true guiding narrative any more than we need false narratives, to me this just hints of the same religious dogma that we're trying to move away from, and shows a lack of understanding of how most people actually experience the world.

Should we teach evolution and science appropriately in schools? Of course. But I don't think we need to revere it to the point that it becomes a central theme in our lives, nor does anyone want to do that outside of a small subset of atheists.

 

[abaddon]

Should we teach evolution and science appropriately in schools? Of course. But I don't think we need to revere it to the point that it becomes a central theme in our lives, nor does anyone want to do that outside of a small subset of atheists.

Having a story of origins isn't a choice. And it's not religious to have one, so if that's your problem with what I've said then rethink it.

We behave in line with how we think the world is. If we think it's a place that we visit temporarily as spirits-encased-in-bodies, we sacrifice living beings and engage other magic to propitiate spirits (the theistic worldview). If we think it's a place where humans are the only entities with minds, we try to make the world comfortable for that "special" species and rip it to pieces (the enlightenment worldview). If we think we're kindred to the rest of life, we will hopefully (when the paradigm shift is more complete) live more cooperatively with the rest of life (the evolutionary and ecological worldview).

Notice that biology doesn't determine WHAT we believe, just that we all like to believe things. If a lot of people are disinterested in science's story, that's why celebrating it openly in our culture matters a great deal.