Re: The universe looks designed to me

Iain wrote:
> Wall of Sleep wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
> You are obviously looking for some sort of intuitive, poetic
> description of evolution that does seem like some sort of badly retold
> longshot. I suspect you are confused by terms like "random mutations",
> that connote that a series of distinct deformities turned out to be
> beneficial, and that that led to the complex grace of modern nature.
>
> The simplest way to explain is to ask you to familiarise yourself with
> way in which dogs, etc, are selectively bred.
>
> Now replace human selection with natural slection, such as gradual
> change in any environmental factor anything that affects an organism's
> chance of continuing the species: predators, terrain, climate, etc.
>
> Thirdly -- and this is the clincher -- imagine all such changes
> happening _simultaneously_ all the time. The changes will all
> complement one another. This accounts for the functionality you find so
> elusive.
>
> The result can only be something machine-like.
>

Your dog analogy fails on two accounts IMO:

1. Dogs are already a functioning system with the potential for adaption
built in. To argue that something "machine like" will naturally arise
from something that's already "machine like" does not further your
position IMO.

2. What *new* functions have come about due to dog breeding? All I've
ever seen are variations of *dogs*. If forced, designed, evolution can
not produce new functions (as opposed to variations of existing
functions) why should I believe that purely natural evolution is more
powerful? As I see it, the only argument *for* natural processes is
time. That is, given enough time, anything is possible.


> You seem to be intelligent yet honestly misunderstand, and so the
> argument thus far about various probabilities is probably superfluous.
>
> Wall Of Sleep, as an engineer of sorts, you no doubt see the world
> through design-tinted specs. It reminds me somewhat of when The
> Simpsons invited impoverished, lifelong carnival workers into their
> house, whereupon their first remark, upon seeing the Simpsons' assets,
> was "It must have taken years for you to win all this stuff".
>

You're right about my designed colored glasses. I've yet to see a real
compelling case for ditching them though.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: The universe looks designed to me
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    (talk.origins)
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  • Re: The Fossil Fallacy
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    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Class on Reproductive isolation
    ... This is where your theory of evolution breaks down and has no proof. ... Look at the variety of dogs. ... mutation into another already existing species. ... about "dogs turning into cats" is a strawman. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: The Fossil Fallacy
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    (talk.origins)