Since our DNA has probably not been co-mingled with any on a different planet, our combination of DNA is probably “unique”. That said, any particular trait has probably occured multible times. Even just here on Earth, any single trait has evolved in multiple species independently. “Self-awareness” is often touted as being uniquely human, but how can we say for certain that dolphins and chimpanzees are not self-aware? Studies imply otherwise.
Yes, the more they examine what we think makes us ‘human’, the more evidence they find in other species…
@db4690 H. Erectus can’t really be considered an evolutionary dead end, as the evidence strongly supports the notion that Erectus is an ancestor of ours.
@oblivion This has been my argument for years. God and evolution are not mutually exclusive. If there is a God, would it not be a more impressive deity if it was smart enough to engineer a life system that constantly improves upon itself?
The analogy I usually use is that any idiot can make something simple - say, a table. But only a genius could make a table which over time spawns a whole house full of furniture, all different and uniquely suited to its purpose.
Besides, if we really were created by God, then God seems to have made a number of mistakes. Why do we get fat? Nearsighted? Diseases? Why does our optic nerve poke through the retina and create a blind spot? If God designed it, then why didn’t he do it right like he did with the octopus, which has no blind spot because its optic nerve attaches to the back side where it belongs? Why, unless God is a civil engineer, did he run a waste line through a recreational area? 
Someone stated evolution is observable, I am not sure it is, all we have is anecdotal records from fossils as far as I know. I am not a creationist because there is less anecdotal evidence to support that belief. One of the strangest outlooks I encountered is there is no way to prove consciousness. The matrix movie was a good example of taking what you perceive to be real, but in fact was not reality. Consciousness is best described as an epiphenomenon.
It’s been observed in lots of places - microbes evolve in a petri dish when subject to stress, the cane toads have evolved in Australia as they’ve spread out (faster ones reproduce more), and what do you call the human-driven evolution known as domestication? We’ve created poodles and Labradors, collies and shih-tzus out of wolves, and corn from antecedents hard to identify in a few thousand years. Surely the same thing could easily happen in nature over hundreds of millions of years?
I find it hard to accept that whatever caused us to be hasn’t happened countless times before in the universe. And will continue to happen. And there’s even a theory that the seeds of our creation may have even been deposited on this planet from a meteorite.
Scientists estimate that our sun will burn itself out in another 1.5 billion years. Are we to believe that will be the end of all intelligent life in the universe?
@Mike,what I meant was God gave us this godlike mind(are we not like gods with our abilities?) If there is no God then we are gods{flawed ones at that} I believe in God,but I do not think we look like God.In my opinion evolution(or adaptation) exists,but I do not think the Human Species evolved by itself from Apes.it sure takes a leap of faith to say on the evidence of of a few Fossil fragments that we directly descended from apes(probably not enough fragments to fill a coffin)as far as evolution goes concerning Homo Sapiens,I consider it a Hypothesis as far as Mans descent from the trees,there are too many descripencies as far as Man vs Ape IMO.I’ve heard tell that the modern bicameral mind didn’t come into existence till around 6000 years ago(pretty close to a biblical time frame-but each to His own-Kevin
“Since our DNA has probably not been co-mingled with any on a different planet…”
You haven’t been watching H2 on cable, I’m sure. There are a number of people that would dispute this assertion. Not me, but they are out thee.
OK moderator, time to shut this one down.
I hope no one is offended by my posting a story from the other side of the counter. Of course it also involves the person behind the counter so I will proceed. In 1990 our 1985 Ford Crown Victoria 302 cu in developed a squirting leak behind the water pump. I was familiar with this leak as small block Fords with the sheet metal cover on the back of the water pump would rust through with a pinhole causing exactly this kind of leak. I went to the local NAPA store to purchase a new water pump. I gave the employee on the other side of the counter the make, model. and year of the vehicle. He did a little tapping on the computer then produced the part. For some reason I peeked inside the box and stated “this is not the correct part”. It was a water pump for a 351C/351M! They are very different! The idiot (who had probably been schooled by even more idiot management} to never consider a customer stating the computer is wrong. This was not some pimply faced kid he was probably 40+. I had a 351 Cleveland and had replaced the water pump and 289 302 pumps. In fact I had my 1971 Mustang MACH 1 in the parking lot and I offered the idiot the opportunity to see what a 351C water pump looked like. He refused still stating that the computer was always right. I should have just went somewhere else but felt like I had to educate this moron. I offered to go home, remove the pump and show him the difference. It worked to my advantage. When I removed the pump I discovered the leak was a small hole in the short hose on the top. Hose and 2 new clamps plus gaskets was about $5. I have never returned to that or any other NAPA store.
I hope no one is offended by my posting a story from the other side of the counter. Of course it also involves the person behind the counter so I will proceed. In 1990 our 1985 Ford Crown Victoria 302 cu in developed a squirting leak behind the water pump. I was familiar with this leak as small block Fords with the sheet metal cover on the back of the water pump would rust through with a pinhole causing exactly this kind of leak. I went to the local NAPA store to purchase a new water pump. I gave the employee on the other side of the counter the make, model. and year of the vehicle. He did a little tapping on the computer then produced the part. For some reason I peeked inside the box and stated “this is not the correct part”. It was a water pump for a 351C/351M! They are very different! The idiot (who had probably been schooled by even more idiot management} to never consider a customer stating the computer is wrong. This was not some pimply faced kid he was probably 40+. I had a 351 Cleveland and had replaced the water pump and 289 302 pumps. In fact I had my 1971 Mustang MACH 1 in the parking lot and I offered the idiot the opportunity to see what a 351C water pump looked like. He refused still stating that the computer was always right. I should have just went somewhere else but felt like I had to educate this moron. I offered to go home, remove the pump and show him the difference. It worked to my advantage. When I removed the pump I discovered the leak was a small hole in the short hose on the top. Hose and 2 new clamps plus gaskets was about $5. I have never returned to that or any other NAPA store.
I hope no one is offended by my posting a story from the other side of the counter. Of course it also involves the person behind the counter so I will proceed. In 1990 our 1985 Ford Crown Victoria 302 cu in developed a squirting leak behind the water pump. I was familiar with this leak as small block Fords with the sheet metal cover on the back of the water pump would rust through with a pinhole causing exactly this kind of leak. I went to the local NAPA store to purchase a new water pump. I gave the employee on the other side of the counter the make, model. and year of the vehicle. He did a little tapping on the computer then produced the part. For some reason I peeked inside the box and stated “this is not the correct part”. It was a water pump for a 351C/351M! They are very different! The idiot (who had probably been schooled by even more idiot management} to never consider a customer stating the computer is wrong. This was not some pimply faced kid he was probably 40+. I had a 351 Cleveland and had replaced the water pump and 289 302 pumps. In fact I had my 1971 Mustang MACH 1 in the parking lot and I offered the idiot the opportunity to see what a 351C water pump looked like. He refused still stating that the computer was always right. I should have just went somewhere else but felt like I had to educate this moron. I offered to go home, remove the pump and show him the difference. It worked to my advantage. When I removed the pump I discovered the leak was a small hole in the short hose on the top. Hose and 2 new clamps plus gaskets was about $5. I have never returned to that or any other NAPA store.
I hope no one is offended by my posting a story from the other side of the counter. Of course it also involves the person behind the counter so I will proceed. In 1990 our 1985 Ford Crown Victoria 302 cu in developed a squirting leak behind the water pump. I was familiar with this leak as small block Fords with the sheet metal cover on the back of the water pump would rust through with a pinhole causing exactly this kind of leak. I went to the local NAPA store to purchase a new water pump. I gave the employee on the other side of the counter the make, model. and year of the vehicle. He did a little tapping on the computer then produced the part. For some reason I peeked inside the box and stated “this is not the correct part”. It was a water pump for a 351C/351M! They are very different! The idiot (who had probably been schooled by even more idiot management} to never consider a customer stating the computer is wrong. This was not some pimply faced kid he was probably 40+. I had a 351 Cleveland and had replaced the water pump and 289 302 pumps. In fact I had my 1971 Mustang MACH 1 in the parking lot and I offered the idiot the opportunity to see what a 351C water pump looked like. He refused still stating that the computer was always right. I should have just went somewhere else but felt like I had to educate this moron. I offered to go home, remove the pump and show him the difference. It worked to my advantage. When I removed the pump I discovered the leak was a small hole in the short hose on the top. Hose and 2 new clamps plus gaskets was about $5. I have never returned to that or any other NAPA store.
I hope no one is offended by my posting a story from the other side of the counter. Of course it also involves the person behind the counter so I will proceed. In 1990 our 1985 Ford Crown Victoria 302 cu in developed a squirting leak behind the water pump. I was familiar with this leak as small block Fords with the sheet metal cover on the back of the water pump would rust through with a pinhole causing exactly this kind of leak. I went to the local NAPA store to purchase a new water pump. I gave the employee on the other side of the counter the make, model. and year of the vehicle. He did a little tapping on the computer then produced the part. For some reason I peeked inside the box and stated “this is not the correct part”. It was a water pump for a 351C/351M! They are very different! The idiot (who had probably been schooled by even more idiot management} to never consider a customer stating the computer is wrong. This was not some pimply faced kid he was probably 40+. I had a 351 Cleveland and had replaced the water pump and 289 302 pumps. In fact I had my 1971 Mustang MACH 1 in the parking lot and I offered the idiot the opportunity to see what a 351C water pump looked like. He refused still stating that the computer was always right. I should have just went somewhere else but felt like I had to educate this moron. I offered to go home, remove the pump and show him the difference. It worked to my advantage. When I removed the pump I discovered the leak was a small hole in the short hose on the top. Hose and 2 new clamps plus gaskets was about $5. I have never returned to that or any other NAPA store.
I hope no one is offended by my posting a story from the other side of the counter. Of course it also involves the person behind the counter so I will proceed. In 1990 our 1985 Ford Crown Victoria 302 cu in developed a squirting leak behind the water pump. I was familiar with this leak as small block Fords with the sheet metal cover on the back of the water pump would rust through with a pinhole causing exactly this kind of leak. I went to the local NAPA store to purchase a new water pump. I gave the employee on the other side of the counter the make, model. and year of the vehicle. He did a little tapping on the computer then produced the part. For some reason I peeked inside the box and stated “this is not the correct part”. It was a water pump for a 351C/351M! They are very different! The idiot (who had probably been schooled by even more idiot management} to never consider a customer stating the computer is wrong. This was not some pimply faced kid he was probably 40+. I had a 351 Cleveland and had replaced the water pump and 289 302 pumps. In fact I had my 1971 Mustang MACH 1 in the parking lot and I offered the idiot the opportunity to see what a 351C water pump looked like. He refused still stating that the computer was always right. I should have just went somewhere else but felt like I had to educate this moron. I offered to go home, remove the pump and show him the difference. It worked to my advantage. When I removed the pump I discovered the leak was a small hole in the short hose on the top. Hose and 2 new clamps plus gaskets was about $5. I have never returned to that or any other NAPA store.
I hope no one is offended by my posting a story from the other side of the counter. Of course it also involves the person behind the counter so I will proceed. In 1990 our 1985 Ford Crown Victoria 302 cu in developed a squirting leak behind the water pump. I was familiar with this leak as small block Fords with the sheet metal cover on the back of the water pump would rust through with a pinhole causing exactly this kind of leak. I went to the local NAPA store to purchase a new water pump. I gave the employee on the other side of the counter the make, model. and year of the vehicle. He did a little tapping on the computer then produced the part. For some reason I peeked inside the box and stated “this is not the correct part”. It was a water pump for a 351C/351M! They are very different! The idiot (who had probably been schooled by even more idiot management} to never consider a customer stating the computer is wrong. This was not some pimply faced kid he was probably 40+. I had a 351 Cleveland and had replaced the water pump and 289 302 pumps. In fact I had my 1971 Mustang MACH 1 in the parking lot and I offered the idiot the opportunity to see what a 351C water pump looked like. He refused still stating that the computer was always right. I should have just went somewhere else but felt like I had to educate this moron. I offered to go home, remove the pump and show him the difference. It worked to my advantage. When I removed the pump I discovered the leak was a small hole in the short hose on the top. Hose and 2 new clamps plus gaskets was about $5. I have never returned to that or any other NAPA store.
I hope no one is offended by my posting a story from the other side of the counter. Of course it also involves the person behind the counter so I will proceed. In 1990 our 1985 Ford Crown Victoria 302 cu in developed a squirting leak behind the water pump. I was familiar with this leak as small block Fords with the sheet metal cover on the back of the water pump would rust through with a pinhole causing exactly this kind of leak. I went to the local NAPA store to purchase a new water pump. I gave the employee on the other side of the counter the make, model. and year of the vehicle. He did a little tapping on the computer then produced the part. For some reason I peeked inside the box and stated “this is not the correct part”. It was a water pump for a 351C/351M! They are very different! The idiot (who had probably been schooled by even more idiot management} to never consider a customer stating the computer is wrong. This was not some pimply faced kid he was probably 40+. I had a 351 Cleveland and had replaced the water pump and 289 302 pumps. In fact I had my 1971 Mustang MACH 1 in the parking lot and I offered the idiot the opportunity to see what a 351C water pump looked like. He refused still stating that the computer was always right. I should have just went somewhere else but felt like I had to educate this moron. I offered to go home, remove the pump and show him the difference. It worked to my advantage. When I removed the pump I discovered the leak was a small hole in the short hose on the top. Hose and 2 new clamps plus gaskets was about $5. I have never returned to that or any other NAPA store.
I hope no one is offended by my posting a story from the other side of the counter. Of course it also involves the person behind the counter so I will proceed. In 1990 our 1985 Ford Crown Victoria 302 cu in developed a squirting leak behind the water pump. I was familiar with this leak as small block Fords with the sheet metal cover on the back of the water pump would rust through with a pinhole causing exactly this kind of leak. I went to the local NAPA store to purchase a new water pump. I gave the employee on the other side of the counter the make, model. and year of the vehicle. He did a little tapping on the computer then produced the part. For some reason I peeked inside the box and stated “this is not the correct part”. It was a water pump for a 351C/351M! They are very different! The idiot (who had probably been schooled by even more idiot management} to never consider a customer stating the computer is wrong. This was not some pimply faced kid he was probably 40+. I had a 351 Cleveland and had replaced the water pump and 289 302 pumps. In fact I had my 1971 Mustang MACH 1 in the parking lot and I offered the idiot the opportunity to see what a 351C water pump looked like. He refused still stating that the computer was always right. I should have just went somewhere else but felt like I had to educate this moron. I offered to go home, remove the pump and show him the difference. It worked to my advantage. When I removed the pump I discovered the leak was a small hole in the short hose on the top. Hose and 2 new clamps plus gaskets was about $5. I have never returned to that or any other NAPA store.
I hope no one is offended by my posting a story from the other side of the counter. Of course it also involves the person behind the counter so I will proceed. In 1990 our 1985 Ford Crown Victoria 302 cu in developed a squirting leak behind the water pump. I was familiar with this leak as small block Fords with the sheet metal cover on the back of the water pump would rust through with a pinhole causing exactly this kind of leak. I went to the local NAPA store to purchase a new water pump. I gave the employee on the other side of the counter the make, model. and year of the vehicle. He did a little tapping on the computer then produced the part. For some reason I peeked inside the box and stated “this is not the correct part”. It was a water pump for a 351C/351M! They are very different! The idiot (who had probably been schooled by even more idiot management} to never consider a customer stating the computer is wrong. This was not some pimply faced kid he was probably 40+. I had a 351 Cleveland and had replaced the water pump and 289 302 pumps. In fact I had my 1971 Mustang MACH 1 in the parking lot and I offered the idiot the opportunity to see what a 351C water pump looked like. He refused still stating that the computer was always right. I should have just went somewhere else but felt like I had to educate this moron. I offered to go home, remove the pump and show him the difference. It worked to my advantage. When I removed the pump I discovered the leak was a small hole in the short hose on the top. Hose and 2 new clamps plus gaskets was about $5. I have never returned to that or any other NAPA store.
I hope no one is offended by my posting a story from the other side of the counter. Of course it also involves the person behind the counter so I will proceed. In 1990 our 1985 Ford Crown Victoria 302 cu in developed a squirting leak behind the water pump. I was familiar with this leak as small block Fords with the sheet metal cover on the back of the water pump would rust through with a pinhole causing exactly this kind of leak. I went to the local NAPA store to purchase a new water pump. I gave the employee on the other side of the counter the make, model. and year of the vehicle. He did a little tapping on the computer then produced the part. For some reason I peeked inside the box and stated “this is not the correct part”. It was a water pump for a 351C/351M! They are very different! The idiot (who had probably been schooled by even more idiot management} to never consider a customer stating the computer is wrong. This was not some pimply faced kid he was probably 40+. I had a 351 Cleveland and had replaced the water pump and 289 302 pumps. In fact I had my 1971 Mustang MACH 1 in the parking lot and I offered the idiot the opportunity to see what a 351C water pump looked like. He refused still stating that the computer was always right. I should have just went somewhere else but felt like I had to educate this moron. I offered to go home, remove the pump and show him the difference. It worked to my advantage. When I removed the pump I discovered the leak was a small hole in the short hose on the top. Hose and 2 new clamps plus gaskets was about $5. I have never returned to that or any other NAPA store.