The Learned Pig: Just A Theory

15 January 2007

Just A Theory

Despite that all of modern biology is based on the theory of evolution, there still exist numerous religious and otherwise stupid people in our society who doubt the reality of the evolutionary process.

These people can commonly be heard declaring, with grave authority: "Evolution is, after all, just a theory."

And they're right. Evolution is a theory.

But so is gravity.

So the next time someone tells you that evolution is "just a theory", tell them to go jump off a bridge.

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Why the learned pig?

In early 19th-century America, a certain traveling show featured a remarkable pig that, on command, could spell out letters to form words. This "pig of knowledge", or "learned pig", baffled superstitious mobs, and excited frenzied accusations of witchcraft. In response, the pig's trainer published a pamphlet that sought to dispel the rumors by detailing his methods of instruction, and demonstrating that this apparent miracle could be accounted for through reason and observation alone.

Tacitus once wrote, "everything unknown passes for something splendid." Humans by nature desire to know, and when they encounter something seemingly inexplicable, they tend to fill in the holes with religion, superstition, or inane anti-intellectualism that dismisses the need for knowledge altogether. But these are cowardly subsitutes for reason and observation. The learned pig reminds us that if we wish to be wise, "observe; for observation is the source of wisdom."