Evolution and Nursing

Esme12 said:

Ill just bow out now before I embarrass myself further.... LOL

Well, now, that's no fun! ?

I'm kind of a pro at embarrassing myself. Keeps things interesting and exciting, that's for sure!

GrumpyRN just wants to fight. people!!

GrumpyRN said:

We are not disagreeing, if the bible is the word of god then it should be absolutely correct. If on the other hand it is a fairy story, as I think, then it is open to interpretation by any person who comes along. I like the bit where it says women have to do my bidding and do not get to tell me what to do, I think I need to point this out to my (female) manager.

Oh, love, you made me giggle. There is a movie - I think it is called Living Biblically For a Year??? It is (I believe) based on a book that was written by a guy who decided to live by the word of the bible quite literally for a year. I think if you haven't seen or read it yet, you should. It sounds very much like something you'd enjoy.

ixchel said:

The Smithsonian has a beautiful display up (well, as of last summer they did) discussing evolution. I always was curious to learn the explanation of how the first living cell came to be. I've always been on the side of evolution, even during that Christian phase I went through in high school (I don't say that to be rude - genuinely, I had a year when I was a complete Jesus freak and then I realized it just wasn't right for me). The one thing, though, was that I never did understand how that first cell came to be, and I craved that knowledge but didn't understand science quite enough to grasp the concept. Flash forward to last summer, 3 years in on my degree and after multiple science courses. I couldn't get enough of their evolution display at the Smithsonian.

I think it is so beautifully simple. As atoms joined to make molecules, our atmosphere and the sun pushed these molecules to eventually join each other to create chains. Eventually these chains became complex enough to be proteins and sugars. Then those proteins and sugars became nucleic acids. At that point, the sun and atmosphere didn't have to drive these molecules to be made. They made themselves, and gradually became even more complex. Evolution meant that the chains that survived the atmospheric changes started to replicate themselves and protect themselves with more complex structures, so that the first cells would be built.

So perfect. I'm dazzled by it. Absolutely in awe by the simplicity of the explanation, and yet for it to happen, it's not simple at all, is it? That took so incredibly long to happen. Now we have this perfect ecosystem in which we are interdependent. Oxygen, water, sugars, bacteria, proteins... Because it all developed together, it is all needed to survive, grow, and evolve further. The thing that bothers me is that because humans have evolved to the point that now we modify our environment to suit our comforts and needs, we have halted our own evolution. What does this mean for the long-term survivability of our species, as our planet continues to evolve and we don't? I don't know, but I hope we figure it out.

GrumpyRN, I've agreed with much of what you have posted. The only thing I disagree with is the ability to interpret the bible as one feels right. We've had centuries to socially evolve past slavery, genocide, and women being lesser than men. The book was written at a time when these things were acceptable, and because of that, some things need to be put into their historical context (and, frankly, left back in history where they belong). I think this is fairly important overall, because if the ideas of oppression that do exist in the bible don't get put aside, the oppression will continue.

Beautiful and well written!! Loved your explanation as I am kind of a science freak myself. Haven't been to the Smithsonian myself but one day I look forward to seeing this display.

TheFowldogg said:

I am an RN, I just wanted to see what the general feel of "evolution" is between nurses because it is so science heavy in nature! Different from other occupations that are less heavy in science

So you were just stirring a pot and watching it spin?

Do you engage in that at work also?

I don't see what the big deal is. I think this is a very interesting topic for discussion, definitely better than the 500 "nurses are bullies" threads. Besides, if anyone didn't like the topic there is always the option to ignore the discussion. ?

Christy1019 said:

I don't see what the big deal is. I think this is a very interesting topic for discussion, definitely better than the 500 "nurses are bullies" threads. Besides, if anyone didn't like the topic there is always the option to ignore the discussion. ?

I've enjoyed this conversation, actually. If I were to bet on what would get the most "votes" amongst nurses, I would have actually voted evolution. I've enjoyed learning that, among this group, that my assumption was incorrect.

When these types of conversations are handled respectfully, they tend to be eye-opening, and compassion building. We all have valid reasons for coming to the conclusions we do. Whether I agree with another person's conclusions or not doesn't mean I can't respect them or learn from them.

Thanks for sharing, everyone! ??

BrandonLPN said:

Asking whether you "believe" in evolution is like asking if you believe in gravity. There is no debate in scientific circles that current life evolved from earlier life - none whatsoever. The only debate is in political and religious circles.

So, yes, I "believe" in evolution.

With that said, as an agnostic, I can accept the possibility of intelligent design.

"The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it." ~Neil deGrasse Tyson.

CarryThatWeight said:

GrumpyRN just wants to fight. people!!

Where's HappyRN? Don't underestimate the Power of Happiness. ?

Happy Easter everyone! Including GrumpyRN {{{HUGS}}}

At the risk of stirring the pot even further, this news came out just in time for this discussion:

Poll: Religion Trumps Belief in Big Bang Theory for Most Americans - NBC News

Quote

Americans have more skepticism than confidence in global warming, the age of the Earth and evolution and have the most trouble believing a Big Bang created the universe 13.8 billion years ago.

...Political values were closely tied to views on science in the poll, with Democrats more apt than Republicans to express confidence in evolution, the Big Bang, the age of the Earth and climate change.

Religious values are similarly important.

Confidence in evolution, the Big Bang, the age of the Earth and climate change decline sharply as faith in a supreme being rises, according to the poll. Likewise, those who regularly attend religious services or are evangelical Christians express much greater doubts about scientific concepts they may see as contradictory to their faith.

"When you are putting up facts against faith, facts can't argue against faith," said 2012 Nobel Prize winning biochemistry professor Robert Lefkowitz of Duke University. "It makes sense now that science would have made no headway because faith is untestable."