Sir, - Dr Dominique Tassot (Opinion, July 18th), trots out the usual objections that one often sees in debates about the merits of evolutionary theory and I must say that it is alarming to see The Irish Times giving space to such rubbish. Not that debate on this issue should be suppressed, quite the contrary.
However, Dr Tassot's arguments are riddled with obvious holes and misrepresentations.
First, he begins by quoting Pope Pius XII, as if this individual had any particular authority to mandate a debate on evolutionary theory. Scientists have been inquiring into the nature of the universe since long before the Catholic Church and will continue to do so with or with out its approval.
He goes on to claim that no "empirical proof" exists in favour of macroevolution. Well, to start with, proof, by its nature is not empirical, and if one is looking for empirical evidence of macroevolution, then there is a plentiful supply of that surrounding us.
Most people would agree that the world is a very different place to what it was 10 million years ago, for example. Of course, the large-scale differences in species that we thus observe could be explained by a variety of different theories, evolution being just one of them. However, more careful observation rules out many of the contending theories and evolutionary theory seems to be the most robust scientific theory that is left standing. This is part of the scientific method - to claim that there is no evidence supporting macroevolution is just plain false.
Dr Tassot also claims the second law of thermodynamics "precludes evolution". Again, this is absolutely false. The second law of thermodynamics applies to isolated systems and certainly no one would claim that the Earth is an isolated system. If Dr Tassot takes a look at the sky the next time he has a chance he will probably notice that well-known object, the sun, which pumps vast amounts of energy into the earth's ecosystem every day.
I have chosen to highlight only two of the more obvious errors in Dr Tassot's arguments, but there are many more.
Proper scientific debate and research on evolutionary theory will of course continue, but Dr Tassot's so called refutations should be consigned to the dustbin where they belong. - Yours, etc.,
Dr. James Cruickshank, Department of Mathematics, University College Cork.