> I've also heard that

insert favourite subject here

        > evolution **

> is just a theory.

That concept is called "science".
I know you know this, but any time you hew to a favourite 
concept or theory or whatever within an observational system 
as if it were immutable and beyond error, you set yourself 
up for a fall.*

Some very very very obvious 'facts' have proved not to be 
so. At least as far as we can now tell from latest 
observations :-).
My regular exemplar is the current flavour of the decades 
'plate tectonics' which replaced an equally obvious system 
so thoroughly that about nobody now realises that it used to 
be taken seriously only 'a few' decades back. (For 
increasing values of few).

Francis Crick (you may have heard of him and his colleague 
James Watson)( :-) ) wrote a book ("Life Itself") explaining 
that "directed panspermia" was by far the most probable 
explanation for life as we know it because the prospect of 
life having arisen "here" was so utterly small as to be 
functionally non-existent.  IMHO it's a terribly written 
book, but the fact that one of the two kings of the art saw 
fit to write it to add support to what was not an original 
theory in his own hallowed area should tell you something. 
Or several things. But 'panspermia' is essentially utterly 
derided as an alternative to "home made" with no good basis 
that I am aware of. It does not of course solve the problem 
of the prigin of life - just moves it somewhere else. But 
somewhere else is sure to be better than here (or else), as 
you'll be aware if you've ever checked your sources.

> Check your sources.

Check your sources.



        Russell

*    Yes. I'm aware of the opportunities for response that 
that provides :-)

**  " ... " needs to be well defined for this to be a useful 
observation.
"Natural selection" is a scientifically well demonstrated 
phenomenon.
"Speciation" is the crunch point and the battle ground. 
Agreeing on the former allows the decks to be cleared for 
dealing with the latter.

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