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To: kimtom

according to William Demski- Math Genius, he claims “Probabilities by themselves, however, are not information measures. Although probabilities properly distinguish possibilities according to the information they contain, nonetheless probabilities remain an inconvenient way of measuring information.”

All quotes will be fro mthe following link: http://users.fred.net/tds//anti/william.dembski/wd_idtheory.htm

He then goes on to explain why in terms that cause a mini-stroke in my brain

Basically he coems ot hte same conclusio nas the previous articles I linked to concluded- that duplicates, while beign ‘more’ information, are NOT NEW Specified Complexity Information- they are mere duplications

“For an example in the same spirit consider that there is no more information in two copies of Shakespeare’s Hamlet than in a single copy.”

“The obvious difference between the two scenarios is of course that in the first the information follows no pattern whereas in the second it does. Now the information that tends to interest us as rational inquirers generally, and scientists in particular, is not the actualization of arbitrary possibilities which correspond to no patterns, but rather the actualization of circumscribed possibilities which do correspond to patterns.”

kolmogorov and apparently reader david beleive that mere duplication of random configurations of informaiton are enoguh to qualify for the title of Irreducibly Complex Information- however, a string of randomly assembled letters has nothign about it htta is irreducibly complex, it could lose any letter and still be nothign more than an incoherent conglomeration of random letters whereas if a guided set of letters were to lose it’s key irreducibly complex parts, it woudl cease being a viable word or sentence (much lkie most of my posts)

In demski’s example that follows, you’ll note that one event doesn’t contain the information that an observe needs in roder to derive a conclusion other than ‘It hits the wall randomly’ whiel the secodn scenario has the information necessary for an observer to make an intelligent observation abotu hte skills of the archer

“To see this, consider a third scenario in which an archer shoots at a wall. As before, we suppose the archer stands 50 meters from a large blank wall with bow and arrow in hand, the wall being so large that the archer cannot help but hit it. And as in the first scenario, the archer shoots at the wall while it is still blank. But this time suppose that after having shot the arrow, and finding the arrow stuck in the wall, the archer paints a target around the arrow so that the arrow sticks squarely in the bull’s-eye. Let us suppose further that the precise place where the arrow lands in this scenario is identical with where it landed in the first two scenarios. Since any place where the arrow might land is highly improbable, in this as in the other scenarios highly complex information has been actualized. What’s more, since the information corresponds to a pattern, we can even say that in this third scenario highly complex patterned information has been actualized. Nevertheless, it would be wrong to say that highly complex specified information has been actualized. Of the three scenarios, only the information in the second scenario is specified. In that scenario, by first painting the target and then shooting the arrow, the pattern is given independently of the information. On the other hand, in this, the third scenario, by first shooting the arrow and then painting the target around it, the pattern is merely read off the information.”

Kolmogorov seems to be applyign hte third scenario- painting the bullseye aroudn the landing point (or the assembly of letters) and making a hindsight comclusion that the archer ‘must have meant to hit that exact spot and hterefore the ‘after the fact added information’ amounts to irreduciblyu complex information (but the fact is that this added info could be removed and the arrow woudl still have been in that same spot whether it was itnentioned or not)- Kolmorogov is readign a pattern by adding information that wasn’t htere to begin with it seems - Fabricatign information after the fact adds nothign to our knowledge abotu what the archer intended- Demski nails it with hte following statement

“The fact that the target in the third scenario constitutes a pattern makes no difference since the pattern is constructed entirely in response to where the arrow lands. Only when the pattern is given independently of the arrow’s flight does a hypothesis other than chance come into play.”

Basically Kolgoromov saw where the arrow landed, painted a bullseye aroudn it, and claimed “See- that is naturally occurign naturally designed irreducible complexity”

I’m not exactly sure, but it seems the kolomogorv is saying that a species becoems iurreducibly compelx after you remove every non essential part and leave just thosep arts absoltuely necessary forl ife- goign any further woudl result in death (like removing the heart, or brain, or lungs etc) A species can live without ears, nose, eyes, limbs etc etc etc and thsoe parts are not necessary forl ife, therefore they can be removed and are not vital to the overal ‘irreducible compelxity’ of the species- It then seems to me that kologoromov’s conlcusion is that since it’s already made and living, and it (the specimen) can be reduced to it’s simpelst irreducibly compelx parts, then nature ‘must have doen it’- must have produced the irreducibly compelx parts (He’s essentiually paintign a bullseye aroudn where hte arrow landed, and concluding that naturem ust have been responsible for producign hte irreducible complexity it seems)


39 posted on 06/07/2013 10:19:56 AM PDT by CottShop (Scientific belief does not constitute scientific evidence, nor does it convey scientific knowledge)
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To: CottShop

From what I understand of hte issue, it wouild be akin to findign a computer (havign never seen one or known about one, or even thinkign that man could be capable of desinging such an instrument) and then disecting it. discoverign htat many parts can be removed and it still will function, discoverign htat removing certain parts will cause it’s ‘demise’ and then coming to hte conclusion that nature must have been the deswigner of the irreducibly complex parts (as well s the non essential parts), and determining without any cvause to think so, that there is no evidnece that man was able to design it (even though man’s fignerprints are found in all manner of designs throughout hte world)

This scenario involves approachign hte issue with an aa priori conclusion (paintign the bullseye around the arrow after it has landed)


40 posted on 06/07/2013 10:27:21 AM PDT by CottShop (Scientific belief does not constitute scientific evidence, nor does it convey scientific knowledge)
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