From: Kevin Freels (megaquark@hotmail.com)
Date: Tue Jun 17 2003 - 13:50:09 MDT
Very true. I didn't mean to state the program as "truth" since without being
there, the truth can never be known. Only educated guesses. My point was
that most people don't even have a clue.
Currently I am reading "Origins" by Leakey and there is quite a bit that has
been "learned" since the book was published in 1979. The "family tree" has
taken a variety of shapes over the years, but both do agree however that
Neanderthal man is not a direct ancestor. Careful analysis of the proteins
has shown this and I doubt that we will ever learn otherwise. For this
reason, I have to accept this as the "truth of the moment" just as much as I
have to accept that cigarette smoking is harmful to my health. One day, this
may be proven wring as well, but it is not very likely.
----- Original Message -----
From: <cryofan@mylinuxisp.com>
To: <extropians@extropy.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 1:15 PM
Subject: Re: Discovery's "Walking with Cavemen"
> Kevin Freels <megaquark@hotmail.com> said:
>
> > I watched it, the watched it again a second time while I recorded it.
It's
> great to have something out there that explains the evolutionary history
of
> human beings in laymen's terms. I had 6 people (all of whom think I am
nuts)
> watch this. If there is one thing they all got out of it, it was the fact
> that Neanderthal man is NOT our ancestor, but an entirely different
species!
> I am starting to check around right now, but it seems to me that the
common
> misconception is that we descended from Neanderthal man. After viewing
this
> program, all 6 of these people are more inclined to listen to what I have
to
> say about evolution vs. creation. They simply had no idea how it worked!
> > Until seeing this program, one of my friends (and possibly more)
actually
> thought that man descended from what is, for lack of a better word, modern
> ape. Once again, the Discovery channel has opened a few minds!!!!!!
> > Three cheers for the Discovery Channel!
> >
> >
>
> I also enjoyed what I saw of the program, and plan to eventually watch it
in
> its entirety. However, I would not take what they say as carved in stone
> truth. Every week some grand revelation issues forth from the mills of
the
> press via some study. But many of those studies are flawed. Truth is
always
> being revised, and it seems that we have a short memory considering how
often
> studies that are promoted as carved in stone truth are refuted a few years
> later. Evolutionary biology is great stuff, but I would not be surprised
if
> what we saw in the aforementioned TV show is revised with a decade or 2.
>
>
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