The Origin of Man-Science

[MolecularMan14]

Please state whether you feel that Humans were created (or engineered) by an outside force (such as aliens) Or if evolution has made us as we are.

 

Same with the development of science/technology...was it developed by an outside force, or did we engineer it ourselves?

 

Please specify which and give an explanation and/or reference.

 

Thanks

[Chem-Maniac]

Humans are the product of evolution, just as every living organism on this planet. An easy proof for this are the fossils found in Africa, Europe, China and North America. I doubt that those are the products of failed experiments of aliens. Anyways, in the phylogenesis of man there are still some missing links, but they do not contradict the theory of evolution.

[MolecularMan14]

Ive seen many forums about an outside force contributing to todays technologies as well as the production of man...I myself dont really believe in it, however it seems to be a hot topic around the forums.

[LucidDreamer]

This is a good example to apply Ockham's Razor. Ockham's Razor states that when two explanations are offered for a phenomenon the simplest is the most preferable. We have thousands of examples of man creating his own technology. We have good records of extraordinary men who have contributed to technology over the centuries. We have an abundance of evidence that evolution occurs. Man belongs to the order of primates that has very similar DNA. Chimpanzees differ by a mere percent. We have found fossil evidence of intermediate species including Homo Erectus and Australopithecus. To invent a group of aliens that gave us technology and caused our evolution violates Ockham's Razor. The answer is plain and clear, right in front of our face

[ydoaPs]

This is a good example to apply Ockham's Razor. Ockham's Razor states that when two explanations are offered for a phenomenon the simplest is the most preferable. We have thousands of examples of man creating his own technology. We have good records of extraordinary men who have contributed to technology over the centuries. We have an abundance of evidence that evolution occurs. Man belongs to the order of primates that has very similar DNA. Chimpanzees differ by a mere percent. We have found fossil evidence of intermediate species including Homo Erectus and Australopithecus. To invent a group of aliens that gave us technology and caused our evolution violates Ockham's Razor. The answer is plain and clear, right in front of our face

 

we also have ancient records telling about knowlege coming from the gods. these stories are from all around the world. from cultures that aren't supposed to have any direct contact. how does that violate ockham's razor?

[LucidDreamer]

we also have ancient records telling about knowlege coming from the gods. these stories are from all around the world. from cultures that aren't supposed to have any direct contact. how does that violate ockham's razor?

 

There is another part of Ockham's razor, which tells us that we should never create undue multiplications or complications to an argument without need. You have reinterpreted the gods to mean aliens and have created an extra complication to your explanation. To determine whether the story of gods giving man technology is a) mythology or b) aliens we have to use logic and examine the evidence. It has been shown numerous times that primitive cultures and modern cultures create superstitions or mythology. The scientific community has observed this. However, a god has not been observed by the scientific community and neither has an alien masquerading as a god.

 

If we are going to treat all mythology that is common to several primitive tribes as fact then we much accept the mother goddess, the sun god, the ocean god, the river god, and numerous animal spirits as fact as well. Primitive cultures used superstition to describe a world they did not understand. Angry gods or evil spirits caused bad things to happen. Good things happened because gods gave them to man. If they had writing then they could have just looked at their stone tablet encyclopedia and know that Grog The Wise discovered the wheel 200 years before.

[ydoaPs]

ancient peoples had not the experience we have today. is it not possible that they thought the extraterrestrials were gods?

[LucidDreamer]

ancient peoples had not the experience we have today. is it not possible that they thought the extraterrestrials were gods?

 

Sure, that’s reasonable. But that's only relevant to the argument if we had solid evidence of extraterrestrial visiting primitive man and not more examples of mythology. Each unsubstantiated element that you have to add to an explanation weakens it.

[ydoaPs]

Sure, that’s reasonable. But that's only relevant to the argument if we had solid evidence of extraterrestrial visiting primitive man and not more examples of mythology. Each unsubstantiated element that you have to add to an explanation weakens it.

 

saying mythology is totally fasle is unsubstantiated. they described things using words and experiences they had.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Wait, wait, wait. Are you saying that mythology is TRUE or that it is partly true?

[ydoaPs]

most of the common ones are PROBABLY partly true. think about it. how can people from all around the world(that have no contact with each other) have the exact same stories if there isn't some elment of truth in the stories?

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

I see what you mean.

 

Except, I know of none of these such stories.

[ydoaPs]

look up myan, sumerian, egyptian cultures. they all have "myths" talking about "gods" coming from the sky and giveing them information

[MolecularMan14]

info about what exactly? the end of the world? The creation of the lightbulb? Many of such "predictions" could simply be metaphors, which could be perceived as ancient predictions

[MolecularMan14]

darn it...that reading stuff is so hard..what with the words, and sentences, and those big things....paragraphs...boy its hard for me to know what everyone online is saying considering I cant read at all...:'(

Listen I understand what could be in context...but still! The creation of a manageable source of light is pretty predictable...its as if I were to say "And the people would fly in seats of confort and enjoyment"...that COULD be perceived, as "the people will fly in their flying cars"...not that Im saying that we'll have flying cars anytime soon, but its possible that one day, we might...and then someone would look back to that phrase and say that it was predicted by ancients!

[ydoaPs]

o, the light bulb. i forgot about that. it said how it works. someone built it by the description and it worked. i saw it on discovery channel, so i am an expert.

[MolecularMan14]

lol, ive never heard that...u mean edison?

[ydoaPs]

lol, ive never heard that...u mean edison?

 

the egyptian light bulb. http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/chaptera/

[MolecularMan14]

thats very interesting

 

(btw nice answer to the riddle, but not quite )

[LucidDreamer]

look up myan, sumerian, egyptian cultures. they all have "myths" talking about "gods" coming from the sky and giveing them information

 

Gods always come from the sky, the rivers, the mountains, and the oceans. Most beneficial things are reported to come from the gods and all disasters come from the angry gods in mythology. I believe there probably are stories about gods bringing technology to man in all those cultures and more. I also know that just as many cultures had mythology about a female fertility god that controls birth. Just as many cultures have myths about a sun god that does one thing or another to bring up the sun. Just as many cultures have stories about gods transforming themselves into various animals or man. Just as many cultures have myths about animal spirits. Lots of cultures have stories about man stealing fire from the gods. Lots of cultures have stories about major floods and having to start over. Lots of cultures have stories about a great hero challenging the gods. Should we say that all these things are true because many cultures made them up?

 

The list goes on and on. Just because cultures have similar stories does not make those stories true. All those cultures have similar stories because they had similar lives. Most agricultural communities had stories of floods because floods would frequently occur and affect their survival. Most primitive cultures have stories of a female fertility god because females gave birth and children were an important part of society. They had stories about gods bringing disaster like floods or typhoons because they had no idea about the physical forces that caused the disasters. By creating a god they could describe those forces and give them a name.

 

The story of gods giving man technology is just another example of this. The technology that they developed was a major factor in their lives that improved their quality of life. The technology evolved over time and after the technology became an integral part of society it became part of mythology. Information was passed solely through word of mouth and over time the stories change. Besides not all the stories are about gods from the sky giving us technology. Some of the stories are about gods of the earth giving us agriculture, gods of the sea giving us boats, gods of volcanoes giving us fire.

 

Btw Myths are not regarded as having an element of truth; that’s a legend.

[ydoaPs]

if they thought aliens were gods, would they no assume they could control weather, fertility, ect.?

 

edit: my post #1,111