Brain Teasers
The Upset Archaeologist
A young archaeologist named Botch had dug up what he believed to be the missing link. Sure that he would be famous and receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants for further research, he promptly called some colleagues and held a press conference to unveil his findings. At the conference, Botch announced that he had found the jawbone and teeth from the famous prehistoric Nebraska man. When these ancient fossils were originally discovered, they were hailed as the best evidence of man's evolution ever found and led to the teaching of evolution in American schools. When he unveiled his findings the room quickly emptied as snickers and laughter filled the air. Poor Botch had made the same mistake so many of his colleagues had already made.
What was his mistake?
What was his mistake?
Answer
He assumed that what he had learned in school was actually correct, yet it was badly out dated and very inaccurate (unfortunately many north American schools use out dated text books). Nebraska man was proven to be a fraud shortly after its discovery (it was really an extinct pig). Surprisingly many fossils of ancient man are fakes or at best inconclusive, which is why evolution is still a theory and archaeologists like Botch are still searching for that missing link.Hide Answer Show Answer
What Next?
View a Similar Brain Teaser...
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
Solve a Puzzle
Comments
Very Cool. Botch botched it.
Spreading a little propaganda there, OD-1? ;)
"I didn't see it at first, I heard it. I could tell it was bare, no garments, naked. I heard the ring and embraced it. I opened my eyes, and there was the truth."-Coda Van Newt
You make a point. Many text books schools give you are normally out dated.
this isn't a teaser it is a history lesson.
this is based on opinion, not fact
THis is the best teser EVA
The scientific method holds that if the evidence supporting a theory is found to be flawed, then the theory should be abandoned. Theories are supposed to be based on scientific evidence. Interestingly, the evidence supporting Evolution has come and gone, been found to be flawed, replaced with new evidence and so on. However, the theory still remains, it's just the evidence that keeps on changing. While this does not necessarily disprove the theory of evolution, it certainly makes it unscientific.
By your definition, Jimbo, every scientific principle in existence had to be proven correct the FIRST TIME it was tested, otherwise it would have been discarded. If scientists worked the way you are implying, we'd still be in the Stone Age, because hardly any experiment works perfectly the first time. The real beauty of the scientific world is that it corrects its mistakes. This teaser is a perfect example of how good the scientific community is at rooting out its own mistakes and correcting the issue.
Ok, I have to say a bit on evolution... I believe people of some form were created in some way. And it is a proven fact that people are taller now than way back when, living longer... and other such things have been proven that although we may not have come from a puddle, or monkeys, we HAVE changed over the "ka-jillion" years we've been here.
It also should be pointed out that scientists don't use the word "theory" like laymen do. To laymen, a theory is just an idea of what could work, but to scientists that is a hypothesis. Everyone knows the Theory of Relativity, but no one calls Einstein an atheist for coming up with it.
kcelf, i think you're talking about microevolution. It is well known that things change over time...but it is totally different than macroevolution, when things change into different species...also, it's up for debate whether or not people are living longer....Methuselah, according to the Bible, lived for 900+ years...which is a lot longer than America's average of 89 years.
Just a little note from a silly person like me
Just a little note from a silly person like me
anyway back to the tease. i didnt get it but it was very really absoulutly good 1 (velamagreatnessed!)
Quite impressive, good job.
Bobbrt, you take such offense! If you take the time to dig, you'll find, in secular publications, the truth of what this teaser asserts.
The truth is out there. Someone, or something BBQ'd a pig a long time ago, in Nebraska. It's a good teaser. Nothing more.
LOL at OldChinaHand's comment.
It's amazing that even on a website that promotes critical thinking and logic, misinformation and myth is promoted as knowledge. If you don't understand the difference between a scientific theory and a hypothesis, you have no business posting about it. Stick to your churches and superstitions.
To post a comment, please create an account and sign in.
Follow Braingle!