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What annoys you about paleontology?; Rant on about moronic theories, complaints, or just animals that annoy you.
Topic Started: Sep 28 2013, 05:04 PM (256,191 Views)
BossAggron
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Formerly Dilophoraptor

stargatedalek
Dec 2 2015, 11:02 PM
BossAggron
Dec 2 2015, 09:56 PM
CyborgIguana
Dec 2 2015, 02:20 PM
Not sure I heard about that, what do you mean by violation of science ethics?
They Leaked information on Dakotaraptor a month or so before its actual release.
Ironically their leak went largely unnoticed and ignored :P
Still was a pretty Dicksonia move.
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Paleodude
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ex-Krampus

I swear Boss Agron that pun hurt me on deep physical level only I could ever know.

You think Robert Fabani is bad? Just look at the people who comment on his Facebook and his Facebook in general.
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Incinerox
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Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti

What does a genus of tree fern have to do with Dakotaraptor and science ethics violations?
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CyborgIguana
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People continually ignoring the fact that a "theory" is something completely different in science than it is in colloquial speech. Gravity is a theory too: so go ahead, start floating!
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Acinonyx Jubatus
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I AM THE UNSHRINKWRAPPER!

CyborgIguana
Dec 4 2015, 02:31 PM
People continually ignoring the fact that a "theory" is something completely different in science than it is in colloquial speech. Gravity is a theory too: so go ahead, start floating!
No, Gravity is a Law. Big difference.

Quote:
 
In general, a scientific law is the description of an observed phenomenon. It doesn't explain why the phenomenon exists or what causes it. The explanation of the phenomenon is called a scientific theory.
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Incinerox
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Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti

And the difference again between that and a hypothesis is that a theory is something that has been tested and shown to fit among other scientific models. Hypotheses are simply what you call an untested, educated idea based on our understanding of established theories and laws.

Not just for paleontology, but for any academic discussion, it bothers me when people get that mixed up. "Evolution's only a theory!!!!11!!one!" for example.

*opens the floodgates*
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CyborgIguana
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Acinonyx Jubatus
Dec 4 2015, 04:38 PM
CyborgIguana
Dec 4 2015, 02:31 PM
People continually ignoring the fact that a "theory" is something completely different in science than it is in colloquial speech. Gravity is a theory too: so go ahead, start floating!
No, Gravity is a Law. Big difference.

Quote:
 
In general, a scientific law is the description of an observed phenomenon. It doesn't explain why the phenomenon exists or what causes it. The explanation of the phenomenon is called a scientific theory.
By those standards: pretty sure evolution is a law as well. Natural selection, on the other hand, is a scientific theory to explain evolution.
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Acinonyx Jubatus
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CyborgIguana
Dec 5 2015, 03:22 PM
Acinonyx Jubatus
Dec 4 2015, 04:38 PM
CyborgIguana
Dec 4 2015, 02:31 PM
People continually ignoring the fact that a "theory" is something completely different in science than it is in colloquial speech. Gravity is a theory too: so go ahead, start floating!
No, Gravity is a Law. Big difference.

Quote:
 
In general, a scientific law is the description of an observed phenomenon. It doesn't explain why the phenomenon exists or what causes it. The explanation of the phenomenon is called a scientific theory.
By those standards: pretty sure evolution is a law as well. Natural selection, on the other hand, is a scientific theory to explain evolution.
No, I think the law in this case would be "Life exists and is diverse."

Also, something I'd like cleared up; how does one "test" evolution if it takes millions of years to occur?
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CyborgIguana
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Well evolution on that scale can of course only be extrapolated from the fossil record, but there are forms of "microevolution" that can be observed and tested with the naked eye.
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stargatedalek
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I'm not slow! That's just my moe!

Selective breeding is the most obvious example, but we can also see everything from great white sharks changing morphology based on population to lizards becoming asexual when isolated.

None of this requires any inferences in order to quantify it so would that make evolution a law? Or is "great white sharks vary in morphology based on regional population" the law?
Edited by stargatedalek, Dec 5 2015, 04:34 PM.
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CyborgIguana
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Again, I'd still argue that evolution is a law like gravity, but it relies on theories such as natural selection in order to explain it. The theoretical aspect of evolution lies in its precise mechanics, not in the concept of evolution itself.
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TheToastinator
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A piece of toast and a terminator.

What annoys me? Mesozoica's animals...
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BossAggron
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Formerly Dilophoraptor

Acinonyx Jubatus
Dec 5 2015, 03:28 PM
Also, something I'd like cleared up; how does one "test" evolution if it takes millions of years to occur?
Influenza
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Denomon3144
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Pick a god and pray!

Posted Image
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CyborgIguana
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Please tell me that's a Pokemon and not an attempted rendition of a real dinosaur taxon.
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