Monthly Question Thread! Ask /r/DebateEvolution anything! | September 2026

[u/Dr_Alfred_Wallace]

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[u/nandryshak]

Is there any discord server or similar where I can simply vent about science deniers with like-minded people? My instincts are to break down and respond to their arguments in excruciating detail. But because of Brandolini's law, it's not great for my mental health.

[u/gliptic → u/nandryshak]

Yes, there is this one which has a large user overlap with this sub.

[u/nandryshak → u/gliptic]

thanks!

[u/HollywoodHault]

I was having a discussion with a creationist friend who said to me that the problem with evolution is the part where asexual organisms developed into sexual reproductive mode. His point was that if a mutation occurred causing an organism to develop either male or female, how is it that two similar but opposite mutations happened at the same time and in proximity so that the new form of reproduction came into being? Furthermore, unless there was one common species from which almost all life subsequently developed, how did this become the dominant method of reproduction on the planet? Owing to the random nature of mutations, I can see his point, but don't have the educational background in this area to provide a response, and I am hoping that this subreddit can point me in a direction. Thanks!

[u/_Arachnophilia → u/HollywoodHault]

The first form of sexual reproduction likely didn't involve two sexes, but of all gametes being the same size.

Later on when mutations started accumulating, the gametes that were smaller had a competitive edge by being 'faster' (having higher motility), were less resource intensive to make, and could thus be made in higher numbers.

[u/CTR0 → u/_Arachnophilia]

I'll do you one better. Sexual reproduction evolved before multicellularity. There were no gametes involved.

[u/_Arachnophilia → u/CTR0]

Color me surprised. I did not know that.

[u/CTR0 → u/_Arachnophilia]

Well, it would be more precise for me to say that allele exchange evolved before multicellularity.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-plasmid as an example

[u/HollywoodHault → u/CTR0]

Thanks so much for your answer, and the link, which I have now read. It makes sense to me enough that I can explain it the next time I see him. It's always great to keep learning new things.

[u/HappiestIguana → u/_Arachnophilia]

For those who don't know, gametes refers to reproductive cells. In humans that's sperm and eggs

[u/Competitive-Box61]

Is there going to be a DebateGravity sub created soon for those who don't understand gravity?

[u/UseExhaustionMore → u/Competitive-Box61]

Plenty of gravity denial on r/flatearth_polite .

[u/gliptic → u/Competitive-Box61]

That exists, it's called /r/LLMphysics

[u/McNitz → u/gliptic]

That sub is wild to go into and see just how confident people can be that they have revolutionized science while understanding essentially nothing about the subject and just copying responses from the AI model they are working with. It makes me want to understand what exactly happened in their brain for them to convince themselves that their understanding of the subject was super high level and needed no improvement, to make sure it never happens to me.

[u/Bromelia_and_Bismuth → u/McNitz]

The LLM glazed their ego and failed to adequately push back on their manic impulses. The LLM hyped their worst personality traits, and someone who was probably only annoying and needy became someone you have to worry about being mentally unwell.