Physics P20 Assignment Essays
Alexia Yang - 10061230
Evolution Essay: Word Count: 998
Just over 150 years ago, Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species.1 With this book, evolutionary theory was put into the spotlight. Although initially met with criticism, by the 1940s evolution was widely accepted by biologists. However, while evolution has been accepted by many in academia today, a vast amount of people all over the world are either unsure of the theory, or believe it to be false.2 One would think the root cause of such dissent is a lack of proper education, however, it is more likely that the disbelief is entrenched in the debate of creationism and evolution. Although belief of the theory has been hindered, the debate has actually aided in its development. Thus, it appears that the theory of natural selection is in fact undergoing natural selection itself.
It is not a lack of education that has caused disbelief – the USA has a No Child Left Behind Act, which required all states to adhere to scientific standards by 2005, which included the teaching of the evolutionary theory3. In North America, everyone learns the simple principles of the theory, such that “survival of the fittest” is a household phrase. Further, formal education is just one of the sources of learning information, and one does not even need to be able to afford a higher education to learn about evolution. A quick google search brings up information such as the fact that humans and chimpanzees share upwards of 99% DNA similarity.4 Further evidence is also available in quick picture slideshows showcasing evolution. Evidence is even available on entertainment websites such as cracked.com, with article titles including “7 Animals That are Evolving Right Before Our Eyes”.5 With both formal and informal sources available to the much of the public, the educational process has little room for growth.
The spotlight then turns to why it is that even with all of the knowledge available, people still resist. Fundamentally,
Evolution Essay: Word Count: 998
Just over 150 years ago, Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species.1 With this book, evolutionary theory was put into the spotlight. Although initially met with criticism, by the 1940s evolution was widely accepted by biologists. However, while evolution has been accepted by many in academia today, a vast amount of people all over the world are either unsure of the theory, or believe it to be false.2 One would think the root cause of such dissent is a lack of proper education, however, it is more likely that the disbelief is entrenched in the debate of creationism and evolution. Although belief of the theory has been hindered, the debate has actually aided in its development. Thus, it appears that the theory of natural selection is in fact undergoing natural selection itself.
It is not a lack of education that has caused disbelief – the USA has a No Child Left Behind Act, which required all states to adhere to scientific standards by 2005, which included the teaching of the evolutionary theory3. In North America, everyone learns the simple principles of the theory, such that “survival of the fittest” is a household phrase. Further, formal education is just one of the sources of learning information, and one does not even need to be able to afford a higher education to learn about evolution. A quick google search brings up information such as the fact that humans and chimpanzees share upwards of 99% DNA similarity.4 Further evidence is also available in quick picture slideshows showcasing evolution. Evidence is even available on entertainment websites such as cracked.com, with article titles including “7 Animals That are Evolving Right Before Our Eyes”.5 With both formal and informal sources available to the much of the public, the educational process has little room for growth.
The spotlight then turns to why it is that even with all of the knowledge available, people still resist. Fundamentally,
Bibliography: Arora Hans. “Einstein’s Theory of Relativity: Implications Beyond Science?” Helix. Last modified October 20, 2008. https://helix.northwestern.edu/article/einsteins-theory-relativity-implications-beyond-science “Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki” Grove, J.W. “The Man Who Was Afraid of Ignorance”, Physics P20 Course Pack: Queen’s Summer Quarterly, 2004. Grove, J.W. “A Man of Many Parts”, Physics P20 Course Pack: Queen’s Summer Quarterly. 2004 “History of nuclear energy”