Evolution Critics Are Under Fire For Flaws in 'Intelligent Design'

Wall Street Journal ^ | Feb 13, 2004 | SHARON BEGLEY

[The Raven]

Even before Darwin, critics attacked the idea of biological evolution with one or another version of, "Evolve this!"

Whether they invoked a human, an eye, or the whip-like flagella that propel bacteria and sperm, the contention that natural processes of mutation and natural selection cannot explain the complexity of living things has been alive and well for 200 years.

[AndrewC]

My truck is more than just it's parts

And a mind is more than just a brain, but we were speaking of genes. And a gene is only a part of an individual. Many things including the environment go into determining the survivability of a specific individual. But I was/am/and will be speaking of genes. They are not tied to any specific individual. Now if you care to explain how a gene that is propagated across species belongs to an individual, many people would be interested in your explanation. (How did all those "virus" genes get into "my" genome?)

[js1138]

The individual does not have to survive in order for a particular gene to be passed on.

That might be true were it not for mutations. But since you do not appear to accept the existence of mutations, you may go on living in a fantasy world. Evolution is not really about recombination. It is about novelty and selection.

[AndrewC]

That might be true were it not for mutations

If you'd care to read I considered that possibility and excluded that discussion from this topic. Now would you like to explain cross-species genes in light of your limited explanation of how genes "survive"?

[RadioAstronomer]

Sorry for taking so long to post. :-(

Currently, the evidence points to a catastrophic collision of another body with the Earth not long after the formation of the Earth. This collision is what is believed to have formed the Moon. Originally the Moon was much closer to the Earth and its period did not match its rotation. Over the years the Moon has become tidally locked with the Earth resulting in the Moon keeping one face to the Earth (Its rotation on its axis matches the period of its orbit). This tidal locking will eventually cause the Earth and Moon to keep one face to each other since the Earth is affected by tides as well. (However, under current stellar evolutionary theory, the Sun will go nova before this happens)

Here is a more in depth explanation. The total angular momentum of the earth moon system, which is spin angular momentum plus the orbital angular momentum, is constant. (The Sun plays apart also) Friction of the oceans caused by the tides is causing the Earth to slow down a tiny bit each year. This is approximately two milliseconds per century causing the moon to recede by about 4 centimeters per year. As the Earth slows down, the Moon must recede to keep the total angular momentum a constant. In other words as the spin angular momentum of the earth decreases, the lunar orbital angular momentum must increase. Here is an interesting side note. The velocity of the moon will slow down as the orbit increases.

Another example of tidal locking is the orbit period and rotation of the planet Mercury. What is interesting about this one is that instead of a 1:1 synchronization where Mercury would keep one face to the Sun at all times, it is actually in a 2/3:1 synchronization. This is due to the High eccentricity of its orbit.

There also can be more than one body “locked” to each other. Lets take a look at the moon Io. Io is very nearly the same size as the Earth’s moon. It is approximately 1.04 times the size of the moon. There is a resonance between Io, Ganymede, and Europa. Io completes four revolutions for every one of Ganymede and two of Europa. This is due to a Laplace Resonance phenomenon. A Laplace Resonance is when more than two bodies are forced into a minimum energy configuration. Currently, the evidence points to a catastrophic collision not long after the formation of the Earth. This collision is what is believed to have formed the Moon. Originally the Moon was much closer to the Earth and did not face one side to us like it does now. It has been receding ever since.

[RadioAstronomer]

All hail to Darwin Central. :-)

[longshadow]

Festival of 1⁷²⁰ placemarkers

[js1138]

Question - Are Jesuit priest scientists "true" Christians?

You must be a newbie to these threads. At least half a dozen FReepers fell in the recent Catholic wars. Apparantely for some the answer is no. There have even been whole threads devoted to denouncing all but the select few true believers.

I personally believe these were started by DU disrupters.

[js1138]

The "sonny" stuff seems awefully familiar. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I do recall a former FReeper who talked like that.

[js1138]

If you'd care to read I considered that possibility and excluded that discussion from this topic.

You can't make this exclusion if you are going to make broad statements about all your genes existing in your parents. Obviously if such a "fact" were true, evolution would be impossible, or the mechanisms quite different from what are currently theorized.

Your exclusion is like saying, "excluding the oceans, lakes and rivers, earth is a rather dry place".

[RadioAstronomer]

Yup! :-)

[general_re]

And lose the "sonny" stuff. It is rude.

Besides, Sonny doesn't like it....

[whattajoke]

I am amazed and entranced by the "true" christian love that you have displayed numerous times on this thread! Your repeated use of the insulting term, "sonny," has led me to see the bright shining light of Christ. Your smarmy attitude, your anger, and your dishonesty has been a true witness to the power of your Lord and Savior.

Geeze, with Christian Love like yours, it's amazing anyone goes to your church.

And by the way, your, "it's only a THEORY," statement speaks volumes as to the clear fact that you are anything but a, "Scientist," as you claim.

Give it up.

[AndrewC]

You can't make this exclusion if you are going to make broad statements about all your genes existing in your parents.

I certainly can. Scientists do it all of the time. Ever hear of a perfect gas? It is a starting point. Now answer the cross-species gene question and tell me how its survivability is tied to the reproduction of an individual or even a species.

[AndrewC]

And lose the "sonny" stuff. It is rude.

Alright, sunny. ;^)

[PatrickHenry]

Festival of evolution placemarker

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Question - Are Jesuit priest scientists "true" Christians? Can a "true" Christian hold that evolution is "both true and entirely compatible with Christian belief"?

I think the Pope speaks for Jesuits also when he says that Christianity and evolution are compatible. I'm not a Jesuit, but I find that my faith as a Christian is not in conflict with evolutionary biology.

[Sofa King]

"But I was/am/and will be speaking of genes. They are not tied to any specific individual."

You repeat this over and over, but do nothing to justify it. I've explained multiple times how it is wrong, but you only continue to re-phrase yourself.

[AndrewC]

You repeat this over and over, but do nothing to justify it.

I take it you have a reading problem. I have justified it over and over. Now tell me how a cross-species gene is tied to an individual or species.

[Elsie]

(In other words, the universe was opaque prior to this event...

Like THIS??

---

Genesis 1

1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Big Bang)
2. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (the electrons and atoms and molecules had not bound together yet)
3. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. (300,00 years later)

[Sofa King]

No you have not. Every time I bring up genetic recombination and mutations you completely ignore them. You can only talk about genes as if their combination is irrelevant, which is untrue.