I'll say this much for your predicament - it's timely. Right now, on this side of the Pond, Darwin and evolutionary theory are undergoing a trial (of sorts) by television, courtesy of Professor Armand Marie Leroi:
I'm not sure I trust all of the BBC reporting for science matters, but Attenborough will usually put his name to only reputable programs.
Quoting from that link, he says; "“People write to me that evolution is only a theory. Well, it is not a theory. Evolution is as solid a historical fact as you could conceive. Evidence from every quarter. What is a theory is whether natural selection is the mechanism and the only mechanism. That is a theory. But the historical reality that dinosaurs led to birds and mammals produced whales, that's not theory.” "
Actually I meant to add, regarding the Leroi programme (and since you missed its initial broadcast), that you still have six days to catch it via the iPlayer.
Six days... That's enough time to create another world, of course, according to some sources. ;o)
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00h6sbt
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Interestingly in the UK recently the New Scientist magazine issue 2692 had a cover that said, in big letters, "DARWIN WAS WRONG".
Of course, it wasn't saying evolution doesn't occur. It was an article explaining how Darwin's idea of the 'tree of life' was wrong.
See here;
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20126921.600-why-darwin-was-wrong-about-the-tree-of-life.html
or tinyurl http://tinyurl.com/d49sw2
or related article here;
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20126923.000-editorial-uprooting-darwins-tree.html
or tinyurl http://
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As many wags have pointed out, the 'C' in BBC might as well stand for 'Controversy' these days...
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I'm not sure I trust all of the BBC reporting for science matters, but Attenborough will usually put his name to only reputable programs.
Quoting from that link, he says;
"“People write to me that evolution is only a theory. Well, it is not a theory. Evolution is as solid a historical fact as you could conceive. Evidence from every quarter. What is a theory is whether natural selection is the mechanism and the only mechanism. That is a theory. But the historical reality that dinosaurs led to birds and mammals produced whales, that's not theory.” "
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Six days... That's enough time to create another world, of course, according to some sources. ;o)
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/27/david-attenborough-science
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