BioÂlogÂiÂcal evoÂluÂtion: nevÂer has a pheÂnomÂeÂnon so imporÂtant so lent itself to such clear, underÂstandÂable, eleÂgant explaÂnaÂtions. But just as evoÂluÂtion itself proÂduces a seemÂingÂly infiÂnite variÂety of life forms, so the human underÂstandÂing of evoÂluÂtion has proÂduced countÂless eduÂcaÂtionÂal and enterÂtainÂing kinds of illusÂtraÂtions by which to explain it. In the video above, astronomer-astroÂphysiÂcist-cosÂmolÂoÂgist Carl Sagan, no stranger to demysÂtiÂfyÂing the once seemÂingÂly unfathÂomable pheÂnomÂeÂna of our uniÂverse, shows how evoÂluÂtion actuÂalÂly works with eight minÂutes of crisp aniÂmaÂtion that take us from molÂeÂcules in the priÂmorÂdial soup, to bacÂteÂria, to plants and polyps, to lamÂpreys, to turÂtles, to dinosaurs and birds, to womÂbats, to baboons and apes, to us. Then he goes back and does the whole four bilÂlion-year evoÂluÂtionÂary jourÂney again in forty secÂonds.
This conÂcise lesÂson conÂcerns itself not just with how we human beings came about, but how everyÂthing else came about as well. That wide-angle view of realÂiÂty won a great deal of acclaim for Sagan’s CosÂmos: A PerÂsonÂal VoyÂage, the 1980 teleÂviÂsion series on which the segÂment origÂiÂnalÂly appeared. Though most of its origÂiÂnal broadÂcasts on life, the uniÂverse, and everyÂthing still hold up as well as this clip on evoÂluÂtion, a 21st-cenÂtuÂry sucÂcesÂsor has lateÂly appeared in the form of CosÂmos: A SpaceÂtime Odyssey, hostÂed by astroÂphysiÂcist Neil deGrasse Tyson, doubtÂless the most suitÂed heir to Sagan’s traÂdiÂtion of enthuÂsiÂasm and rigÂor in pubÂlic sciÂence comÂmuÂniÂcaÂtion. For a more extendÂed treatÂment of evoÂluÂtion, see also our post from earÂliÂer this week on deGrasse Tyson’s episode on the subÂject, in which he spends an entire hour on his equalÂly fasÂciÂnatÂing explaÂnaÂtion of what, up to and includÂing you, he, and I, natÂurÂal selecÂtion has so far come up with.
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RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Carl Sagan Presents Six LecÂtures on Earth, Mars & Our Solar SysÂtem … For Kids (1977)
Carl Sagan’s UnderÂgrad ReadÂing List: 40 EssenÂtial Texts for a Well-RoundÂed Thinker
ColÂin MarÂshall hosts and proÂduces NoteÂbook on Cities and CulÂture and writes essays on cities, lanÂguage, Asia, and men’s style. He’s at work on a book about Los AngeÂles, A Los AngeÂles Primer. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.
I am glad that through the grace of God I am a Bible believÂing ChrisÂtÂian and know that the world was creÂatÂed by the Almighty in six days as statÂed in the first chapÂter of the Holy ScripÂtures. The reaÂsonÂing behind the absurd and laughÂable theÂoÂry of evoÂluÂtion owes its oriÂgin to what is described in the third chapÂter of the Holy Bible where the account is givÂen of the fall of man and his subÂseÂquent enmiÂty against God and the Truth of God. Until men are conÂvertÂed by the mighty powÂer of God workÂing in them, enlightÂenÂing their minds and changÂing their hearts, man will conÂtinÂue in his sinÂful rebelÂlion against his CreÂator and rightÂful MasÂter. SolemnÂly, this will be to his eterÂnal woe! All men must die, and then there is the Day of JudgeÂment and eterÂnal damnaÂtion for all who live and die despisÂing the savÂing gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, as do all who believe the SatanÂic lie of evoÂluÂtion.
Dear self-rightÂeous Swine,
I also assume you were breastÂfed until you were twelve. You have no arguÂment here. Go play in the mud with the rest of your pigÂgies. Or prove to me God made us.
Troll. Why on earth would you be on an eduÂcaÂtionÂal site othÂerÂwise??
I totalÂly agree with Michael.
Sagan is corÂrect as far as he goes, but he doesÂn’t tell us how evoÂluÂtion hapÂpened or how learnÂing startÂed with apes and not earÂliÂer with bacÂteÂria for examÂple. This leaves room for simÂple mindÂed creÂationÂism to fill those gaps for the ignoÂrant reliÂgionÂists.
EvoÂluÂtionÂists today see evoÂluÂtion as a self-evolvÂing process based on all creaÂtures learnÂing from expeÂriÂence, and very gradÂuÂalÂly manÂagÂing to change their forms accordÂingÂly.
AcciÂdents of nature help but they can’t do that comÂplex buildÂing by themÂselves.
What if God formed man this way ? from the dust of the earth. In the Bible one day is like a thouÂsand years to God…
I am glad that through the grace of Odin I am an Edda-believÂing Pagan and know that Midgard was creÂatÂed by Odin, Vili, and VĂ© from the corpse of Ymir as statÂed in the Prose Edda. The reaÂsonÂing behind the absurd and laughÂable theÂoÂry of uniÂverse withÂout the world-tree Yggdrasil owes its oriÂgin to what is described in the NafÂnaĂľuÂlur secÂtion of SkáldÂskaÂparmál and in GylfaginÂning where the account is givÂen of the oriÂgin of the dwarves from the soil of Ymir’s flesh. Until Ask and Embla were creÂatÂed from driftÂwood and givÂen three gifts by the mighty powÂer of three gods, imbuÂing them with breath, movement/intelligence, and shape/senses, jotuns and trolls conÂtinÂued in their sinÂful rebelÂlion against the Aesir and Vanir gods. SolemnÂly, this will be to their eterÂnal woe at the field of Vigrid! All gods, jotun, trolls, elves, dwarves, and men must die, and then there is RagÂnarok and the fires of MusÂpelÂheim for all who defy Surt and ignore the warnÂings in the Edda of Snori SturluÂson, as do all who believe the ChrisÂtÂian lie of fewÂer than Nine Worlds.
AS TO EVOLUTION, EVEN A SIMPLE MIND FACING THE EVOLUTIONARY THEORY WOULD ASK: WOW! — HOW COME PARTICLES AS ATOMS FORM MOLECULES , PROTEINS AND BODIES WHICH ARE THEN SHAPED FROM FISHES TO BIRDS, WORMS, MOSQUITOES AND COCKROACHES, and BATS, along with milÂlions of BACTERIA and VIRUSES. AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT ALSO MAKING THEM MALE AND FEMALE !!! AND THEN MAKES MALES AND FEMALES TO ATTRACT EACH OTHER VIA SMELLS, HORMONS AND, TO SAY THE LEAST… LOVE! WOW! JUST IMAGINE: SIMPLE PARTICLES THAT STARTED WITH ONE SINGLE ATOM OF HIDROGEN AND EVOLVED TO SOMETHING THAT ENDED ENCOMPASSING SOMETHING SO ETEREAL AS LOVE! CAN YOU IMAGINE ALL THAT WITHOUT A SUPER MIND PROJECTING IT ALL? AND THEN YOU DARE COMING OUT SAYING YOU DO NOT BELIEVE IN GOD? COME ON MAN! TRY TO MAKE A WHITE BEAR evolvÂing FROM A WHITE MOUSE, OR VICE-VERSA, AND THEN YOU MAY GAIN SOME CREDIT. OTHERWISE, SUCH THEORY ON EVOLUTION IS JUST AN AWKWARD FAIRYTALE! GOD KNOWS! P.S.: A TIP FOR FREE — TRY AS HARD AS POSSIBLE TO LOOK INSIDE YOURSELF AND THEN YOU WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO GET A GLIMPSE AT GOD!
One wonÂders why some peoÂple bothÂer watchÂing a video like this if the mind is closed.Don’t forÂget that evoÂluÂtion develÂoped over 4 bilÂlion tears and Sagan conÂdensed it into 8 minÂutes. All quesÂtions could not be answered in that time.
So many misÂinÂterÂpret the process of evoÂluÂtion. No, we are not descendÂed from chimÂpanzees, gibÂbons, bonoÂbos, or any othÂer livÂing species of ape, BUT we and all of the apes are descendÂed from a creaÂture that resemÂbled all of us.
Over time, as sucÂceedÂing genÂerÂaÂtions develÂoped mutaÂtions some develÂoped largÂer brains and lost their tails while othÂers kept their tails and didÂn’t develÂop largÂer brains.
I rarely see this explained very clearÂly.
l fulÂly believe in evoÂluÂtion and always will.
To all othÂers… Here’s a thought. lf God is so powÂerÂful, what makes you think that God didÂn’t creÂate evoÂluÂtion? So every time you disÂavow even the posÂsiÂbilÂiÂty of evoÂluÂtion, you disÂavow God.
l think it’s time to repent.
To deprive chilÂdren of a well roundÂed eduÂcaÂtion ‑all things conÂsidÂered is to rob them of thinkÂing.