Evolution is a hot topic in some circles. But what is it? Evolution by it self simply denotes that things change over time. Nothing more. So? How is that a "hot topic." I see at least 4 distinct types of evolution. First is on the micro/macro scale. Small changes over time and Large changes over time. The other is a difference of biological(gene) and informational(meme) change. Gene from genetic. Meme from memetic, and a similar root to memory.
SO:
Evolution of the gene on the micro scale is why you look like your biological parents, why we have different breeds of cats, dogs, and horses, etc. This, I believe, can be counted as fact
Evolution of the meme on the micro scale is why we are (hopefully) smarter at 15 than at 5 and smarter at 30 than at 15, ad nauseam. This, I believe, can be counted as fact.
Evolution of the meme at the macro scale gives us the "ages of ...." The Stone, Bronze, Iron, Industrial, Information. This, I believe, can be counted as fact.
Evolution of the gene at the macro scale gives us the evolution of the species. Birds evolving from certain dinosaurs. Humans as an advanced subset of apes. This is the particular point of "evolution" that is being argued. The argument is primarily on the part of literalist readers of the Chistian Bible who assert that the earth is too young for gene to have evolved on its own. And based on the work of one James Ussher, Archbishop of Armagh, who concluded that the Earth was formed by God in 4004 BCE.
Those who question this literalist reading of the Bible or those who don't have a stake in the text argue the side of a much much older planet that would have the time for a gene to evolve on its own.
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