Topics:
- Whether all men have a conscience.
- Intelligent Design
- Whether Nero as the Beast of Revelation
- "Wheldon the Weed" by Peter Jones
- Why the Brothers Karamazov was a good book
Specific Topic: Intelligent Design
Purpose of speech: to persuade you
that Intelligent Design should be considered and presented in schools
Intended audience: Everybody that can read/understand the debate of origins (i.e. Where did we come from?)
Attention Getting Intro: (how do you plan to creatively introduce this speech?)
-----Once on more level ground, the class followed Dr. Seeting as he squeezed himself through one narrow gap to another in a slowly descending, snaking route into the shadowy darkness. Because it was the first time a group of school children had been allowed into the cavern, Dr. Seeting went slowly and made frequent stops to count heads.
At this point, Dr. Seeting, wanting to ensure full appreciation of the natural beauty around asked that each child turn off his or her light. With each click the darkness crept in slightly still held back by Dr. Seeting’s large floodlight. Once he turned his light off, however, the group gasped in startled delight. The cave was completely, utterly dark. The kids tried putting their hands in front of their faces in vain attempts to see something.
After turning his light on and continuing, Dr. Seeting said, ‘Now, we are going to see the most remarkable natural formation anyone has ever seen. So remarkable, it actually looks like a picture!’
-----I have begun by reciting from a fictional story entitled The Cave Painting by Roddy M. Bullock. In this story, the main character is a student named Jenny who along with her fellow classmates, teacher and scientist find themselves examining an interesting “natural” formation in a cave. At least the scientist named Dr. Seeting believes this is a “natural” formation. However, Jenny begins to think otherwise. Let me continue with the story.
-----Soon the group came into a large, open cavern and stopped. ‘Look.’ Said Dr. Seeting. At first the kids didn’t see anything. Ms. Hart, the schoolteacher, also strained to see any significant natural formation in the light’s glow. Dr. Seeting waited patiently.
‘I see it!’ one of the boys shouted bolting forward. ‘Don’t touch!’ Dr. Seeting called out, moving suddenly to intercept the boy. Drawing back, the excited boy pointed out what he saw. One by one, each of the kids began to see it as well.
-----Jenny’s camera clicked and whirred as well, capturing the faint, but distinct lines and the markings that, together, ‘looked amazingly like a hunting scene’ as Dr. Seeting said. They all agreed that the image resembling a man appeared to be hunting. Jenny was captivated by the image of a man running, both legs bent at the knee, the back leg stretched out more than the other, feet in the air. One arm was raised with fingers wrapping a spear, while the other stretched forward, pointing ahead. His hair blew behind him, as if by the wind; his eyes focused intensely in the direction of his outstretched arm. The ground stretched underneath as a long horizontal line. Jenny could distinguish at least three colors, some brighter than others.
On the wall before the staring faces were what appeared to be animal figures, this time less recognizable, but clearly distinguishable. The animals overlapped, making it difficult to see individual features, but each had a large head with long horns. It appeared that they were all the same type of animal. On some, four legs were visible, and at least one was lying down, which had a spear stuck into its neck.
-----Then Dr. Seeting said, ‘these specialties are the most remarkable formations found in this, or any, cave, anywhere. Their discovery has captivated the attention of scientists worldwide, and has stirred serious debate. Many scientists are simply unable to comprehend how such an arrangement of colored pigment could form naturally to look like a picture.’“
After they went back to their classrooms they had a discussion about what they had seen.
“’Who painted those pictures?’ Jenny asked directly, with open wonderment. ‘Well, let me explain,’ Dr. Seeting continued, ‘You see, science, natural science, can consider only natural explanations for physical features of the world around us. Natural explanations must be based on the physical evidence – what we can see, hear, smell, and touch. This is the only way data and information can be gathered, tested and confirmed. It’s important that theories can be tested independently and repeatedly to confirm various hypotheses.’”
What is your Thesis / Big idea for this speech: (what do you want your audience to remember?) -------The main purpose of my speech today is to defend intelligent design as a valid, scientific theory to explain the origin and diversity of life based on the evidence that can be seen.
Please summarize in a sentence the major points you would like to make in this speech: (road map your speech)
I will define evolution and its original implications, show that the complexity of life refutes evolution while showing evolution's problems, and finally show that intelligent design is a better alternative and should be presented in the public schools.
What is the first point you would like to make as you deliver your speech: Explanation of Darwinism
Do you have any outside support or evidence to support this point?
n/a (not applicable)
What is the 2nd point you would like to make as you deliver your speech? Complexity of life
Do you have any outside support or evidence to support this point?
Here we go again...
-----First, we’ll look at the genetic instructions behind life (Pause). DNA, which stands for deoxyribonucleic acid, is like a twisted ladder (show double helix structure). The steps of this ladder are composed of the chemical units sugar and phosphate. DNA has a specific language, which is composed of the letters A, G, T, and C, which stand for Adenine, Guanine, Thymine, and Cytosine monophosphate respectively (show picture).
-----DNA provides the instructions of how to make proteins, which are essential in every organism (show diagram). Proteins, which are made up of amino acids, have specific instructions on the combinations of amino acids. There are 30,000 distinct proteins that are all based on 20 different types of amino acids!
-----After entering the nucleus of a cell (the heart of a cell), we find DNA, which contains the instruction necessary to build all types of proteins, which are essential to life. First, a molecular machine unwinds a section of DNA to expose the genetic instructions. Then, a different molecular machine copies these instructions to develop a molecule called messenger RNA.
-----When this is complete, the slender RNA strand carries the genetic information through the nuclear bore complex, which is the gatekeeper for the cell nucleus. After emerging from the nucleus, the messenger RNA strand is sent to a two-part factory called a ribosome. After being attached securely, the process of transcription begins. Inside the ribosome, a molecular assembly line takes place to build a specifically sequenced chain of amino acids based on the RNA strand. These amino acids are brought from other factories in the cell and then linked into amino chains often hundreds of units long. Their sequential arrangement from the DNA determines the type of protein that is built. If they are arranged in the right way, the amino acids will fold into a certain structure. If not, they will be dispersed and destroyed in the cell. When the chain is completed, it is transported to a barrel machine that helps fold it into the precise shape of the protein that is critical to its function. After the protein is complete, it is then released and brought by another molecular machine to the exact location where it is needed.
-----I want you to decide whether or not chance and natural selection can explain this. In looking at DNA, we see both great complexity and immense specificity. We also see irreducible complexity.
Bill Gates, who is the founder of Microsoft, has said that DNA is a computer programming language except so much more complex. This is where we see the most compelling evidence of design on the earth! We must realize that without DNA, there is no reproduction. And without self-reproduction there is no life.
-----Michael Behe describes these complex and specific structures and functions as molecular machines. There are many different types of molecular machines such as molecular motors, propellers, switches, shuttles, tweezers, sensors, and molecular logic gates. Each and every molecular machine plays a crucial role in either the development or maintenance of a cell.
Another example of irreducible complexity is the flagellum motor (show diagram). This motor propels single-celled organisms. It is very similar to an outboard motor. It contains a stator, bushings, rotor, driveshaft, filament (the tail), cytoplasmic membrane, and the cell wall. This motor can spin at speeds up to 17,000 rpm. The remarkable thing is that it can stop within a quarter turn and spin 17,000 rpm the other direction. All of the parts of this flagellum motor must be present in order for this to work.
-----William Dembski, who has a PhD in mathematics, is a staunch proponent of intelligent design. In his terminology, a specified pattern is one that simply specified, whereas a complex pattern is one that is unlikely to occur by chance. Dembski argues that it is impossible for specified complexity to exist in patterns displayed by configurations formed by unguided processes. Therefore, Dembski argues, the fact that specified complex patterns could be found in living things indicates some kind of guidance in their formation, which is indicative of intelligence.
-----Although Darwin thought originally thought that the eye couldn’t possibly evolve by the process of evolution, he went on later to defend the fact that he thought that eye could have evolved in the end. I agree with his hypothesis, but not his conclusion. In Darwin’s book the origin of species under the chapter 6 entitled “Difficulties ”This is what he said, “” In most vertebrate, the eye works by allowing light to enter the lens and project onto a panel of cells, called the retina, which is located at the rear of the eye. The cone cells, which are for color and the rod cells, which is for low-light contrasts in the retina detect the light and convert it into signals. Then, these visual signals are sent to the brain through the optic nerve. These kinds of eyes are spherical, filled with a substance called the vitreous humour, with a lens for focusing and an iris. The relaxing or tightening of the muscles around the iris change the size of the pupil, thereby regulating the amount of light that enters the eye, and reducing aberrations when there is enough light. After understanding that every part in the eye is critical to its function and maintenance, we realize that the eye is irreducibly complex.
-----At one point, Darwin understood that he could not explain how the eye evolved and said that it gave him a “cold shudder” when he thought about the complexity of the eye. If we loose the function of our eyes, we become feeble and useless. So then we realize that the eye is a very important structure in our body that Darwinism cannot explain. Today, we realize that it is not the eye itself that is very complex but rather structures and processes within the eye.
There is more... but I will not include for longevity's sakeWhat is the 3rd point you would like to make as you deliver your speech? Intelligent design is an alternative to Darwinism
Do you have any outside support or evidence to support this point? complexity of life
How could you creatively summarize your major points and conclude this speech?
(the goal of a conclusion is to motivate your audience to remember and act)
----So when students are taught to consider the possible origins of life, shouldn’t they consider the question: Does the evidence suggest intelligent design or Darwinian evolution? We need to start teaching kids in our educational system both sides of this origin of life controversy. Even Darwin said, “A fair result can be obtained only by fully stating and balancing the facts and arguments on both sides of each question.” There are also a growing number of scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton, Yale, and various other schools saying, “We are skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life. Careful examination of the evidence for the Darwinian theory should be encouraged.” Also Congress said, “Where topics are taught that may generate controversy (such as biological evolution), the curriculum should help students to understand the full range of scientific views that exist, why such topics may generate controversy, and how scientific discoveries con profoundly affect society.” In a survey of the general public it was found that 71% of people say, "Biology teachers should teach Darwin's theory of evolution, but also the scientific evidence against it."
-----So over the course of these 10 minutes, I have shown the worthiness of intelligent design in our public school system. The students should be able to think critically and decide for themselves which of the two theories they think fits the evidence. So in conclusion, intelligent design is a valid, scientific theory based on empiric evidence and it must not be excluded from the science classroom discussion of the origins and the complexity of life.
