Evolution and life
Created | Updated Apr 14, 2002
Evolution is the process whereby we arrived at the sort of people amazed by digital watches. After the planet was formed, well, about 3.8 billion years ago, chemicals came together and started copying each other, and using up other chemicals. When most of the chemicals got used up, better versions of the chemicals started competeing with each other, by a process called natural selection. The most successful chemicals beat the others. Errors in copyong made different versions, some of which were more successful. Eventually, a very succesful chemical, known as RNA was formed. This knocked the socks of everything else, and one version made a coating of chemicals to protect itself. The only thing better than RNA was DNA which came along later. That is when the process really got going. Better coats of chemicals (called proteins) made this chemical much more effective, until it reached a point which we would now call 'Life'. About 600 Million years ago, some of thes DNA with protein round them (lets call them 'Cell') clumped together to make 'plants' and 'animals', and the competition between the chemicals in the 'bodies'hotted up.
65 million years ago, a big asteroid hit the Earth in the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. This caused many big lifeforms that were around at the time to become extinct. This led to the chance of some small furry creatures which we call mammals to start growing biger.
Four miilion years ago, one group of mammals decided it was time to give up the old way of 'four legs good, two legs bad' and try it the other way round. This meant their front feet (or hands as they are colloquially know) were free to do other things, like making tools, going to work, and waste their lives on the Internet.
First propounded by Charles Darwin in 1859, it has been attacked ever since by 'Creationists'. By the rules I am not allowed obscene or insulting language, so I will restrain myself. The amount of evidence for evolution is substantial. The geological record (fossils and there position in the rocks), studying the DNA and finding differences etc). For a very good idea of this subject read Richard Dawkins 'The Blind Watchmaker' or any of his works.
This has been long and boring for most people, but the chance to sound of about this, without any creationsist in listening distance has been a welcome release, and this is something important enough for other people to know.
65 million years ago, a big asteroid hit the Earth in the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. This caused many big lifeforms that were around at the time to become extinct. This led to the chance of some small furry creatures which we call mammals to start growing biger.
Four miilion years ago, one group of mammals decided it was time to give up the old way of 'four legs good, two legs bad' and try it the other way round. This meant their front feet (or hands as they are colloquially know) were free to do other things, like making tools, going to work, and waste their lives on the Internet.
First propounded by Charles Darwin in 1859, it has been attacked ever since by 'Creationists'. By the rules I am not allowed obscene or insulting language, so I will restrain myself. The amount of evidence for evolution is substantial. The geological record (fossils and there position in the rocks), studying the DNA and finding differences etc). For a very good idea of this subject read Richard Dawkins 'The Blind Watchmaker' or any of his works.
This has been long and boring for most people, but the chance to sound of about this, without any creationsist in listening distance has been a welcome release, and this is something important enough for other people to know.
