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About RationalWiki Our purpose here at RationalWiki includes: Analyzing and refuting pseudoscience and the anti-science movement; Documenting the full range of crank ideas; Explorations of authoritarianism and fundamentalism; Analysis and criticism of how these subjects are handled in the media. We welcome contributors, and encourage those who disagree with us to register and engage in constructive dialogue. We have 7,966 articles for your enjoyment. Random featured article[What is this?] Common descent The circular Tree of Life. Moving clockwise: 12:00 to 9:00 is bacteria, 9:00 to 10:30 is archaea, 10:30 to 12:00 is all else. Common descent is the scientific theory that all living organisms on Earth descended from a common ancestor. Biologists have evidence that all life developed from a common ancestor that lived just under 4 billion years ago, a concept accepted by virtually all scientists working in the field. The structures and functions of all living organisms are encoded in the same basic nucleic molecules, DNA and RNA. Similarities in amino acid sequences between various organisms further suggest common descent, and the fossil record also shows cases in which one plant or animal type evolved into different types over geological timespans. Creationists reject common descent as it implies an evolutionary model. Young Earth creationists reject it outright, being Biblical literalists, insisting instead that life was somehow created in just a few days, less than ten thousand years ago. Intelligent design proponents usually just claim that "we don't know what happened", though they may accept certain aspects of common descent as long as they are still allowed to claim that the designer messed with the genes and mutations along the way. Cdesign proponentsists generally believe in a hodgepodge of these positions. Participate in RationalWiki RationalWiki portal: See our guide for newcomers! A brief history of RationalWiki... Share how you found RationalWiki! For general chatter that doesn't fit anywhere else, the Saloon Bar is the place to go. Essay portal: Essays written by individual users covering a wide range of subjects. Comment on the talk pages or write your own. Debate portal: Informal debates covering political and philosophical issues. Participate freely or start your own. Writing articles: Read up on what a RationalWiki page is and our community standards. Take a look at the help pages if you're having trouble. We also keep a list of useful links. Our to do list is where we pile up ideas for articles. See if anything piques your interest!

Featured Content Need to know What Is Going On? We present regularly updated selections of the finest lunacy the Internet has to offer. Participate in the dialogue. What is going on... …in the world?(talk) "Actual" "news" from the "real world." …in the Blogosphere?(talk) Quality blog posts, editorials, videos, and social media activities that relate to RationalWiki's mission. …in the Clogosphere?(talk) Craziness from the clogged-up fringes of the Internet. …with the Elections?(talk) News about elections from around the world. …at RationalWiki?(*hic*) Our own main back-page. Portals and Articles[See more content] Science • Methodological naturalism • Empiricism • Plate tectonics • Common descent • God of the gaps • Brain • Science was wrong before • Sensitivity and specificity • Non-Overlapping Magisteria • A comparative guide to science denial Logic • Improbable things happen • Open mind • Appeal to ancient wisdom • Point refuted a thousand times • Not even wrong • Straw man • God of the gaps • Modal logics • Circular reasoning • How do you know? Were you there? Atheism • Atheist bus campaign • Rational Response Squad debate with Way of the Master • Agnosticism • Misotheism • Pascal's wager • His Dark Materials • Russell's Teapot • Atheist professor myth • FAQ for the Newly Deconverted • Atheism Creationism • Global flood • 101 evidences for a young age of the Earth and the universe • Evidence against a recent creation • Modern Science in the Bible • Flat Earth • Answers Research Journal • How come there are still monkeys? • IslamicAwakening.com • Eye • Creationism Pseudoscience • Cryonics • Non-materialist neuroscience • Anti-vaccination movement • Climate change • Pseudoscience • Intelligent design and academic freedom • Chemtrails • Creationism • Alternative medicine • Objectivism Conspiracy • Pizzagate • Project Blue Beam • Shakespeare authorship • Desiree Jennings • Climategate • War on Christmas • Neoreactionary movement • Conspiracy theory • Adolf Hitler • Gamergate Denialism • Science was wrong before • Fort Pillow Massacre • Comfort women • Climate change • Conspiracy theory • Republican Party • Uyghur genocide • QAnon • Japan • Pakistan Paranormal • Ghost Hunters • Seán Manchester • Electronic voice phenomenon • Near-death experience • Vampire • Craig Weiler • Exorcism • Bigfoot • Unidentified flying object • Dream interpretation Politics • Nationalism • International relations • Robert Mugabe • Party for Freedom • Bashar al-Assad • Niccolò Machiavelli • Skyrail • Saddam Hussein • Libertarianism • Vladimir Putin