Steven Newton, of the National Center for Science Education, has an article on the Huffington Post on 5 reasons why evolution is important. His main points:
- H1N1 & Emerging Diseases. “Rapid evolution combined with rapid travel mean that emerging diseases threaten human health as never before–and therefore, understanding how these diseases evolve is vital as never before.”
- HIV. “Evolution helps us understand HIV’s origins.”
- Vaccines. “Evolution makes sense of the need for a new vaccine every year, and point the way toward developing it.”
- Antibiotic Resistance. “The origin of antibiotic-resistant organisms is a textbook example of natural selection.”
- Drug Development. “Because we know from evolution that we share a common ancestor with animals such as mice, dogs, and macaques, we can test drugs on these animals without endangering humans.”
What are some other reasons evolution is important?
(Other than without it, we wouldn’t be here!)
Medicine and teaching. It takes a special kind of personality to enjoy dissections (either your enjoyment of biology over-rides the grossness, or you enjoy the grossness) but there is nothing like a dissection to show you how something works.
… but what if you enjoy both biology AND the grossness…?
Well then you’re just extra-special! And possibly should be put on some kind of government watch-list…
6. God’s Reality. “Case study of the non-existence of supernatural manifestation in modern era”.
Makes religion look as stupid as it is, by putting the spotlight of media attention on the fundies.
Thumbs. If it weren’t for thumbs, we wouldn’t be here.
What good is evolution? 3 part video series:
“What good is evolution? Do we really need it? Are there any applications for it? Does it have any bearing on human health? Why would a doctor or engineer or teacher or politician need to understand it, beyond the need to satisfy an educational directive? Does it really affect our lives?”
(1/3) The light of evolution: What would be lost
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt5CfQvaYSM
(2/3) The light of evolution: What would be lost
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksYsZxSInIk
(3/3) The light of evolution: What would be lost
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxv_c9dQY0U
ooh, great link
It explains the mechanisms of a free market.
Farming
We humans get to use the mechanisms of evolution for our own ends. Instead of organisms that are best suited to their environment passing on their genes it is the organisms that are most useful to us that are allowed to pass on their attributes, the result is a form of symbiosis(mutualism) between us and the organisms we have bred for our benefit.
It’s an old joke that grass has domesticated the shit out of people. :D
Grass got beat to the punch. CATS have had you all domesticated for thousands of years!
I always thought it was lab mice :(
Damn them and their deceptive maze-navigating antics!
Think about it. You feed us. You shelter us. You give snuggles and loves. You cater to our every need. We have you hoomins WHIPPED! Praise Bast for small miracles, eh?
It helps us understand where we came from and how the vast diversity of life on Earth arose without resorting to belief in a supernatural creator god.