We humans have a tendency to see ourselves as completely different from other animals, and the way in which large segments of the public continue to reject the theory of evolution is just one symptom of that malaise.
Kenneth R. MillerRead
There is no controversy within science over the core proposition of evolutionary theory.
Interpretation
Evolutionary theory is widely accepted in the scientific community without major disputes.
Kenneth R. Miller emphasizes that the fundamental aspects of evolutionary theory are accepted as scientific fact, and any doubts or debates typically arise from misunderstandings or misinterpretations rather than valid scientific controversy. This highlights the importance of accurate understanding of science and the need for public education about scientific theories.
In practice
In a lecture on science education, one might use this quote to emphasize the consensus in scientific circles.
We humans have a tendency to see ourselves as completely different from other animals, and the way in which large segments of the public continue to reject the theory of evolution is just one symptom of that malaise.
For much of history it was possible to believe that the great diversity of life on Earth was a fixed creation, that the living world had never changed. But when the first stirrings of industry demanded that fuel be dug from the earth and hillsides be leveled for roads and railways, the Earth's true past was dug up in abundance.
Evolution isn't just a story about where we came from. It's an epic at the center of life itself. Far from robbing our lives of meaning, it instills an appreciation for the beautiful, enduring, and ultimately triumphant fabric of life that covers our planet. Understanding that doesn't demean human life - it enhances it.
Whether conservative or liberal, fundamentalist or agnostic, the more students learn of biology, the more they accept evolution.
A scientist who is also a human being cannot rest while knowledge which might be used to reduce suffering rests on the shelf.
People are going to buy cheap fertilizer so they can grow enough crops to feed themselves, which will be increasingly difficult with climate change.
From the growth of the Internet through to the mapping of the human genome and our understanding of the human brain, the more we understand, the more there seems to be for us to explore.
A lot of the time, when I find myself critiquing scientific accuracy in movies, I have to remind myself that it had to get close enough to getting it right to get things wrong.
We are in a fool's climate, accidentally kept cool by smoke, and before this century is over billions of us will die and the few breeding pairs of people that survive will be in the Arctic where the climate remains tolerable.
Back in my days as a chemistry student, I used to be quite a technocrat. I was firmly convinced that scientists would have cornered God and photographed Him in color by 1951.
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