[G8D]

(Original post by Gofre)
Quick question guys- I'm currently writing an essay for biology on the ID/evo "debate", and am compiling a list of the more sane arguments against the theory of evolution to refute. I need to bring up my wordcount so if you could throw out any "named" objections to evolution (eg irreducible/specified complexity), it would really help me out [=

irreducable complexaty!??!

[Dandaman1]

(Original post by Gofre)
Quick question guys- I'm currently writing an essay for biology on the ID/evo "debate", and am compiling a list of the more sane arguments against the theory of evolution to refute. I need to bring up my wordcount so if you could throw out any "named" objections to evolution (eg irreducible/specified complexity), it would really help me out [=

'Genetic Entropy' (if I remember the name correctly) is one. Creationists seem to have the idea that genetic information is only lost over generations.

[Okashira]

Have scientists found the reason for why there were red blood cells within the fossilized bones of a T-rex?

[Gofre]

(Original post by Okashira)
Have scientists found the reason for why there were red blood cells within the fossilized bones of a T-rex?

Nope.

[chickenonsteroids]

(Original post by Gofre)
Nope.

Have you finished writing your paper yet? It might be worth looking at what the 'dissent from Darwin' movement has on the issue. I'm not sure if they have a lot of resources available however.

[Xotol]

(Original post by Gofre)
Quick question guys- I'm currently writing an essay for biology on the ID/evo "debate", and am compiling a list of the more sane arguments against the theory of evolution to refute. I need to bring up my wordcount so if you could throw out any "named" objections to evolution (eg irreducible/specified complexity), it would really help me out [=

Not really sure about 'sane', but you might want to work yourself through these and pick out the ones with the most credibility, if you haven't already done so:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objections_to_evolution

[Gofre]

(Original post by chickenonsteroids)
Have you finished writing your paper yet? It might be worth looking at what the 'dissent from Darwin' movement has on the issue. I'm not sure if they have a lot of resources available however.

(Original post by Xotol)
Not really sure about 'sane', but you might want to work yourself through these and pick out the ones with the most credibility, if you haven't already done so:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objections_to_evolution

Yeah I've finished the paper now, I literally doubled the word count which is a refreshing change from tearing my hair out trying to bulk an essay up! Ended up having to cut a load out.

[Ape Gone Insane]

Why do our testicles hang? Why are they not safely within our bodies?

It is almost unthinkable to ask why ovaries do not descend during embryological development and emerge outside the female’s body cavity in a thin, unprotected sack…

Would the safeguarding of our reproductive system not be one of the first things that would be covered by evolutionary development in males?

I've heard reasons ranging from the 'handicapping principle' putting it in a similar light to peacock features where being able to sustain their testicles is indicative of a high quality mate but then it fails to explain why there haven't been other, more pecuilar, developments with the scrotum: different colours and shapes. They're all largely the same dull looking thing.

Another reason I've heard is that they require cooler temperatures and not having the scrotum descend (having it inside the actual body) would have an adverse affect on the sperm mobility and health. Higher temperatures shut down the sperm and they cannot survive for too long at body temperature. The cool temperature combined with the heat of ejaculation/intercourse 'jumpstart' the sperm: essentially thriving during intercourse - high mobility. But then wouldn't it have made more sense to have regulated the sperm response to temperature so that it was less sensitive. Other animals, who do not have hanging scrotums, manage the thermoregulation fine.

Is it just a case of something Evolution didn't account for it all its imperfections?

Can anyone shed light on this?

[Gofre]

(Original post by Ape Gone Insane)
Why do our testicles hang? Why are they not safely within our bodies?



Would the safeguarding of our reproductive system not be one of the first things that would be covered by evolutionary development in males?

I've heard reasons ranging from the 'handicapping principle' putting it in a similar light to peacock features where being able to sustain their testicles is indicative of a high quality mate but then it fails to explain why there haven't been other, more pecuilar, developments with the scrotum: different colours and shapes. They're all largely the same dull looking thing.

Another reason I've heard is that they require cooler temperatures and not having the scrotum descend (having it inside the actual body) would have an adverse affect on the sperm mobility and health. Higher temperatures shut down the sperm and they cannot survive for too long at body temperature. The cool temperature combined with the heat of ejaculation/intercourse 'jumpstart' the sperm: essentially thriving during intercourse - high mobility. But then wouldn't it have made more sense to have regulated the sperm response to temperature so that it was less sensitive. Other animals, who do not have hanging scrotums, manage the thermoregulation fine.

Is it just a case of something Evolution didn't account for it all its imperfections?

Can anyone shed light on this?

You're right, the primary hypotheses are related to thermoregulation. We've all heard of the studies showing that having a laptop on your lap can destroy sperm count I assume the increase in fertility the cooler temperature can allow outweighed the risk of being kicked there in the grand scheme of natural selection.

[Hype en Ecosse]

(Original post by Gofre)
You're right, the primary hypotheses are related to thermoregulation. We've all heard of the studies showing that having a laptop on your lap can destroy sperm count I assume the increase in fertility the cooler temperature can allow outweighed the risk of being kicked there in the grand scheme of natural selection.

Besides, even if 9/10 mammals got kicked in the gonads rendering them infertile, it's still an advantage over the 10/10 infertile ones with
ascended testicles. Thus selecting.
What annoys me about the adaptations is that that area of our abdomen doesn't really need a high temperature. If only we had a better heat distribution system.

That laptop fact always makes me feel self-conscious about my testicles, I always have my laptop on my lap...

[Gofre]

(Original post by Hype en Ecosse)
Besides, even if 9/10 mammals got kicked in the gonads rendering them infertile, it's still an advantage over the 10/10 infertile ones with
ascended testicles. Thus selecting.
What annoys me about the adaptations is that that area of our abdomen doesn't really need a high temperature. If only we had a better heat distribution system.

That laptop fact always makes me feel self-conscious about my testicles, I always have my laptop on my lap...

Self conscious? I use it as a free form of contraception ;D

[Stiff Little Fingers]

(Original post by Hype en Ecosse)
Besides, even if 9/10 mammals got kicked in the gonads rendering them infertile, it's still an advantage over the 10/10 infertile ones with
ascended testicles. Thus selecting.
What annoys me about the adaptations is that that area of our abdomen doesn't really need a high temperature. If only we had a better heat distribution system.

That laptop fact always makes me feel self-conscious about my testicles, I always have my laptop on my lap...

didn't think the game of roshambo was that popular in the animal kingdom.

[Hype en Ecosse]

(Original post by Alofleicester)
didn't think the game of roshambo was that popular in the animal kingdom.

Clearly haven't been to the Edinburgh zoo.

[Stiff Little Fingers]

(Original post by Hype en Ecosse)
Clearly haven't been to the Edinburgh zoo.

My family escaped from Scotland back in the 50's, you think we'd return any time soon?

[Hype en Ecosse]

(Original post by Alofleicester)
My family escaped from Scotland back in the 50's, you think we'd return any time soon?

I expect that you'd have been recaptured, at least.

[Stiff Little Fingers]

(Original post by Hype en Ecosse)
I expect that you'd have been recaptured, at least.

not at all - cunningly disguised as a midlander to avoid being recaptured.

[SMed]

(Original post by Gofre)
We've all heard of the studies showing that having a laptop on your lap can destroy sperm count

(Original post by Hype en Ecosse)
That laptop fact always makes me feel self-conscious about my testicles, I always have my laptop on my lap...

I wouldn't go calling it a fact just yet. If you guys are talking about that recentish study earlier in the year about laptops and sperm count, that was a flawed study. I think they put sperm in a Petri dish and literally sat a laptop on top of the dish. As far as I'm aware, there are no in vivo studies showing laptop use (in lap) reduces sperm count to any significant amount.

[Gofre]

(Original post by SMed)
I wouldn't go calling it a fact just yet. If you guys are talking about that recentish study earlier in the year about laptops and sperm count, that was a flawed study. I think they put sperm in a Petri dish and literally sat a laptop on top of the dish. As far as I'm aware, there are no in vivo studies showing laptop use (in lap) reduces sperm count to any significant amount.

I'm thinking back to a newspaper article a few years ago, if I remember correctly it said that they tested men after a certain period of using a laptop. I could be wrong, I'll try and dig it up later.

[Hype en Ecosse]

(Original post by SMed)
I wouldn't go calling it a fact just yet. If you guys are talking about that recentish study earlier in the year about laptops and sperm count, that was a flawed study. I think they put sperm in a Petri dish and literally sat a laptop on top of the dish. As far as I'm aware, there are no in vivo studies showing laptop use (in lap) reduces sperm count to any significant amount.

I don't mean fact in a literal sense, more like one of those false ones that gets proliferated. Like eskimos having 50 words for snow.
But the study I saw was a test of sperm count in men against a control group who didn't use laptops, the ones with lowest sperm count were found to also spend a lot of time using a laptop, the assumption made there was that they then sat it on their lap.

[Ape Gone Insane]

(Original post by Gofre)
You're right, the primary hypotheses are related to thermoregulation. We've all heard of the studies showing that having a laptop on your lap can destroy sperm count I assume the increase in fertility the cooler temperature can allow outweighed the risk of being kicked there in the grand scheme of natural selection.

But of course considering all the complex things Evolution is capable of, it's a possibility it could have easily introduced some management of temperature and heat and provided for a good environment for ascended testicles. Like it does in a variety of animals that have ascended testicles.