Inconsistencies in Biology Textbooks

My Biology 204 class gives me lots to think about, but one thing I've noticed is how the textbook for our class has continual snippets of self-contradiction. For example: At one point in the book the text used the example of the human appendix and homologous bone structures between species to disprove Intelligent Design. A few pages later there was a passage praising the incredible diversity among the kingdoms and crediting Evolution with having caused massive, diverse speciation.

It seems an illogical step to take a concept and it's opposite and use them both as evidence of one thing. It is odd to say that Evolution is responsible for how everything is fundamentally the same and at the same time wildly different.

Also--and you may blame my innate Creationist bias for this--if everything in a biological kingdom has a similar structure and design, it doesn't seem to me that this disproves anything. It could mean that, if the world was indeed created, someone up there found a design that was universally applicable and simply changed some bits around because the pattern was efficient and biologically stable.

Another problem I've noted in this same textbook is circular reasoning. Throughout the book there are phylogenic charts, or "trees of life." Judging by the text, scientists have drawn these trees based on hypothesis and theory, then done RNA testing to determine relationships between the species on the chart, and then referred back to the hypothetical tree to fill in the gaps in their RNA research.

That's my rant on Evolution today. Sorry, no alternative, scientific hypothesis yet. I'll keep working on it.

Warning!

Something I found online, and heavily edited:

Due to the rising frequency of human-lion encounters, the Ministry of Fish and Wildlife, Imhabane Branch, Mozambique is advising hikers, hunters, fishermen, and any motorcyclists that use the out-of-doors in a recreational or work-related function to take extra precautions while in the bush.

We advise the outdoorsmen to wear little noisy bells on clothing so as to give advanced warning to any lions that might be close by so you don't take them by surprise.

We also advise anyone using the out-of-doors to carry "Pepper Spray" with him or her in case of an encounter with a lion.

Outdoorsmen should also be on the watch for fresh lion activity, and be able to tell the difference between lion cub faeces and big lion faeces. Lion cub faeces are smaller and contain lots of berries and dassie fur. Big lion faeces have bells in them, and smell like pepper.

Found at: http://members.fortunecity.com/robstravel/lion_warning.htm [Warning: Profanity!]

Ten Ways to Get Your Government to Notice You

1) Whenever filling out an application that asks for whether or not you've ever been convicted of a crime, heavily underline the word "convicted" in pencil and then erase it so it smudges.

2) Wear a black leather trench coat everywhere, with your hands in your pockets.

3) Sit in an airport, train station, or government institution and read a newspaper in full view of the security cameras, then blatantly check your watch whenever a security guard passes.

4) Make your AOL screen name "TedK_YoonaBommer".

5) Wear sunglasses into banks and hunch your shoulders.

6) Take flying lessons. Withdraw from the course when you start learning how to land.

7) Make large purchases with cash, preferably in sequential bills.

8) If you're ever near the CIA headquarters, drive really slowly past the gates.

9) Make other people conduct your ATM transactions, but let the ATM camera catch a glimpse of your face.

10) File the serial numbers off your kitchen appliances.