I think you nailed this one. I agree.

I don't think the scientists (on the whole) give a rat's butt what it means to any one else - other than in the pursuit of science and knowledge. The defensible stuff will rise to the top.

The fundamentalists have a big stake here, it appears, perhaps because if you pull one card out of the bottom, they're afraid the house will fall down. Not necessarily so for moderates or others. They can recognize the high allegorical worth and be content with that - only assuming the risk of being branded cafeteria believers.

Darwin's natural selection is to creationism what Galileo's telescope was to geocentrism. In time, it'll be rationalized and assimilated.

Resistance is futile - for both the impatient and the deniers.

WAT
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"Excess on occasion is exhilarating - It keeps moderation from becoming a habit" W. Somerset Maughm

WAT:

Interesting you brought up Galileo. It reminds me of an answer Sagan gave to the question, why exploration? What does answering questions about the na2re and origins of the universe do 2 improve our lives here on Earth? I think his answer was to point out that it would be impossible to measure the benefit gleaned by humanity from Galileo's verification through telescopic observation of Copernicus' hypothesis that the sun was at the center of the solar system. The shift in perspective on "who" and where we are and how the universe works was profound. Can a dollar value be put on that?

It was a small step for a man and a giant leap for all of mankind forward in the recent evolution of critical thinking.

-ol' 2long

Did you folks read the article in the November, 2004 National Geographic entitled "Was Darwin Wrong?" Their answer was a resounding "No". I remember when I first read The Origin of Species thinking what an amazing mind Darwin had, and how gratifying it was to be able to read the ideas of that amazing mind.

Hey 2long, whats up with Titan? Have they got any new data? Ive been looking for some new pictures or if they figured out whats on the surface but Ive been coming up blank.

Hi els - yes, I'm a subscriber to Nat'l Geo. Articles about some aspect of the evolution of the planet and its creatures are kinda hard to avoid in that context, huh? If you don't do this already, pay attention to the incoming letters for a month or three following an article like that. Very revealing.

WAT