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Evolution Critics Are Under Fire For Flaws in 'Intelligent Design'
Wall Street Journal ^ | Feb 13, 2004 | SHARON BEGLEY

Posted on 02/13/2004 3:14:29 AM PST by The Raven

Edited on 04/22/2004 11:51:05 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

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.


(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: creationuts; crevolist; evolution; intelligentdesign
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To: AndrewC
You and I both know that I don't have the knowledge or credentials to defend PhD level work in molecular biology. I don't know about you and your abilities. I know you are bright and knowledgeable, but I'm not going to accept your word against thousands of established practitioners.

But I do understand fundamental concepts, one of which is that genetic changes in the gene line may or may not prevent reproduction. There are humans with anomalous chromosome counts that can be parents. There is the recent and famous case of the woman who appears to be a genetic blend of two embryonic sisters.

If reproduction involves novelties in the gene line, regardless of the cause, the novel genes will be subject to selection.
421 posted on 02/16/2004 8:52:21 AM PST by js1138
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To: Sofa King
You can only talk about genes as if their combination is irrelevant, which is untrue.

The combinations are not relevant to the discussion I was having and into which you entered. Genes exist apart from any single individual. Evolution is described in terms of populations and not individuals. Now answer the question I posed, or expect no further discussion from me.

422 posted on 02/16/2004 8:52:43 AM PST by AndrewC (I am a Bertrand Russell agnostic, even an atheist.</sarcasm>)
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To: js1138
but I'm not going to accept your word against thousands of established practitioners.

Don't accept my word, look at the sources. In this thread alone, there are references to Type Three Secretion Systems. One paper, in particular, discounts the flagellar to TTS evolution (and vice versa) due to the population's genetics not the individual's genetics. That is precisely the point I am trying to make. Genes exist apart from any single individual.

423 posted on 02/16/2004 8:59:47 AM PST by AndrewC (I am a Bertrand Russell agnostic, even an atheist.</sarcasm>)
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To: AndrewC
"The combinations are not relevant to the discussion I was having and into which you entered."

Yes, they are, and simply declaring them not to be isn't enough. "Your genes" means combination as well as the individual genes themselves. Many traits require combinations of genes to occur.

"Evolution is described in terms of populations and not individuals."

That's incorrect. Evolution is described by survival of the fittest, where the individuals which are most fit survive to reproduce, passing down their traits to their offspring.
424 posted on 02/16/2004 9:04:02 AM PST by Sofa King (MY rights are not subject to YOUR approval http://www.angelfire.com/art2/sofaking/index.html)
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To: Ophiucus
We've been over that in previous posts - it uses both. Even to develop proof of theories.

I'll tell you what. I propose a theory of grue. Stop lights have three colors, red, yellow and grue. Grue lights are green right now, but in the year 2099, they will all turn blue. Now, being a good scientist, I go around driving from city to city, keeping a notepad record of all the glue lights I see, and lo! After months of extensive investigation, I discover all the lights I've ever checked satisfy the criteria of grue-ness, so--Am I ready to publish my "proof"?

I can virtually guarantee that the grue theory will withstand every test the journal's referee's and critics can concoct. Clearly, by your criteria, this is a solid proof.

Let me just suggest you that you refrain from trying to defend science from the well-prepared creationists at your local school board. You will be handed your head in short order. Just because some half-baked metaphysical theory happens to be common practice, doesn't mean it can reason its way out of paper bag.

425 posted on 02/16/2004 8:59:21 PM PST by donh
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To: PatrickHenry
Einstein actually preserved an objectively real universe

Well, sure. But the issue in question is--is einstein's universe just a minor correction in the least significant figures to newtonian physics, as my deponent contends? Or is it a radically different universe?

426 posted on 02/16/2004 9:16:57 PM PST by donh
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To: donh
Einstein's unverse is radically different. Einstein's theory of special relativity allows the conversion of mass into energy and vice versa. Newton's theory does not. Newton's universe never existed.

Einstein's genreal theory is even more different from Netwonian gravitation than the dynamics of the special theory is from Newton's theory of motion.

Of course these are only theories.
427 posted on 02/16/2004 9:47:12 PM PST by Doctor Stochastic (Vegetabilisch = chaotisch is der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
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The Newtonian universe wouldn't have been proposed if it had been known that observers everywhere in the universe perceive the passage of time differently. = 1720

428 posted on 02/16/2004 10:17:32 PM PST by AndrewC (If a frog had a glass ass it would bust it a hoppin - Mao is not the king of France)
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To: PhilipFreneau
Uh, sonny, Voyager proved that Cassini was 100% wrong. Junk science is messin' with your brain.

Any evidence or sources of that, daddy-boy? The Voyager mission is well documented and there is that entire Cassini mission due this year - you should have a source somewhere. Of course, we have pictures that they are there - but you say they don't exist like the big bang. Maybe they made up the entire Cassini mission.

But then NASA has of a Cassini division - even labeled "Cassini Division." This primer on Saturn states that:

"Two prominent rings (A and B) and one faint ring (C) can be seen from the Earth. The gap between the A and B rings is known as the Cassini division."

It then goes no to say:

"Mimas seems to be responsible for the paucity of material in the Cassini division, which seems to be similar to the Kirkwood gaps in the asteroid belt; Pan is located inside the Encke Division. The whole system is very complex and as yet poorly understood."

How can something that is there, not be? Bloody rude of it not to pay attention to its nonexistence. Maybe you could make a law banning it too.

NASA thought about sending Pioneer 11 throught there but didn't in case there was some debris in there - and yep, when Voyager sent back pictures of the nonexistent Cassini Division, there were some objects rolling along in a place that doesn't exist.

Wrong again, sonny. As late as the 1960's public schools taught morality via Christianity (maybe not in New York City, but New York City was always perverse). The 10 commandments and the golden rule were commonplace on the walls of public schools.

Where do you get this stuff? No public school had a Christian Morality class. They didn't teach Christianity - having golden rule plaque or saying 'under God' in the pledge isn't teaching religion.

When Christians controlled our public schools (and our nation's morality, in general) you could go on vacation without locking your house; for the life of your car without locking the doors; children had nothing to worry about, at school and at play, except for an occasional fistfight; you could count the number of loose girls in high school on your fingers; and lawyers were not getting filthy rich suing everyone who was trying to make society a better place (e.g., doctors, industrialists, public schools, you name it).

Right. Everything was perfect in the good old days. Everything would be perfect if you could just get those darned logical Christians to all be self-rightous, automatons and force people to believer the One True Christian Way for their own good!! The desire to return to a fantasy olden age dominated by religion is another facet that fundamentalists have in common.

Since your perversion took over

Oh yes, MY perversion and all the other Christian perversions of not mixing up faith with science - of not wanting to make everyone believe exactly the same thing. Such a ruinous thing.

Fine, then let schools teach intelligent design, or is that too much "freedom of thought" for you? If you are anything but a hypocrit you will be vehemently supporting the teaching of intelligent design.

Intelligent design is on par with spontaneous generation and is often included along with Lamarck's ideas in the beginning of evolution units. But if you want to teach ID as the replacement, or as God's creation then absolutely not - teach your religion in your church.

"Twenty six times, oh Daddy-boy? Not 25 or 27, but precisely 26? What were these 26 nations "that rebelled against God."

I thought you were some sort of history expert. I guess not.

And I thought you were making it up or quoting some propaganda line. I guess I was right.

Where did you get that idea. I think everyone should learn about the THEORY of evolution, intelligent design, and God's word.

Theory is often used as :

An entire body of knowledge associated with a particular area of study, including the basic postulates, predictions based on these postulates, observations and experimental data, and their interpretation. [Cal Poly Physics Colloquium, 9/23/99]

The Scientific American article quoted earlier even held that in discussion, theory and fact can be used interchangeably. There is no uncertainty implied in 'theory'.

Yet, you have called those who aren't against evolution, atheists and heretics, that evolution is a false science, junk science, has nothing to do with reality, perverse, unGodly, and promoted the suppression of evolution to foster the nation's moral and spiritual growth - saying that fools that support evolution are killing the nation.

But now you're changing to say it is ok to teach this evil idea but only if it is taught alongside a "True Christian" approved doctrine?

What I despise are arrogant bigots, such as evolutionists, who claim their way is the only way. When I run into such fools, I always confront them and challenge them.

In psychology, this is called transference - a transfer of one's own conscious and unconscious motivations to the opponent.

It has been the fundamentalist fringe in Arkansas, Kansas, and now Georgia, demanding that evolution be struck from the textbooks. When have you seen scientists demand a law that evolution be taught in all churches whenever Genesis is discussed?

Never. So who is the oppressor?

429 posted on 02/17/2004 2:38:05 AM PST by Ophiucus
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To: Virginia-American
In rhetoric class, not science class

Nice point and score.

430 posted on 02/17/2004 3:01:48 AM PST by Ophiucus
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To: Elsie
True, so far; since the pope has embraced the concept: but faiths OTHER than the Roman Catholic Church DO have a problem with it.

I had to pause when I noticed the phrasing "faiths OTHER than the Roman Catholic Church," not sect, not denomination but faiths. Interesting connotation.

Most denominations do not have a problem with it which comes down to the central issue of one sect trying to force its beliefs on the rest and using government force to do so.

431 posted on 02/17/2004 3:10:26 AM PST by Ophiucus
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To: Elsie
They tend to actually BELIEVE the Bible that ONE man, the FIRST man, was responsible for sin entering into the world.

So if they don't BELIEVE the exact same things in the exact same way you BELIEVE, then they're not Christians.

432 posted on 02/17/2004 3:39:49 AM PST by Ophiucus
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To: js1138
You must be a newbie to these threads.

Not really, I wanted to see certain answers.

At least half a dozen FReepers fell in the recent Catholic wars. Apparantely for some the answer is no.

Not just Catholic, a huge portion of Protestants get hit by this charge.

There have even been whole threads devoted to denouncing all but the select few true believers

How "*********" of them. Sadly, I've seen it before.

433 posted on 02/17/2004 3:56:57 AM PST by Ophiucus
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To: donh
I can virtually guarantee that the grue theory will withstand every test the journal's referee's and critics can concoct. Clearly, by your criteria, this is a solid proof.

It would not and you know it. A silly example that uses the counter examples of fallicies in the logic you were earlier promoting. Grue - you're deliberately ignoring important factors like a mechanism, agent, or system. Try a better one.

Just because some half-baked metaphysical theory happens to be common practice, doesn't mean it can reason its way out of paper bag.

Half-baked metaphysical theory? To what do you refer?

434 posted on 02/17/2004 4:14:48 AM PST by Ophiucus
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To: donh
Or is it a radically different universe?

Different, in that Einstein's universe is a much closer description of reality than Newton's. But for nearly 300 years, the rough approximation of Newton's universe was sufficiently accurate that we were quite satisified; and it's still adequate for everyday purposes.

435 posted on 02/17/2004 4:23:26 AM PST by PatrickHenry (Felix, qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.)
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To: Ophiucus
Most denominations do not have a problem with it.....

You correctly pointed out the state of most of 'Christianity' today.........

436 posted on 02/17/2004 7:27:17 AM PST by Elsie (When the avalanche starts... it's too late for the pebbles to vote....)
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To: Ophiucus
So if they don't BELIEVE the exact same things in the exact same way you BELIEVE, then they're not Christians.

Similarly..

So if they don't ANALYZE the fossil record in the exact same way you DO, then they're not Evolutionists?

437 posted on 02/17/2004 7:29:16 AM PST by Elsie (When the avalanche starts... it's too late for the pebbles to vote....)
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To: Ophiucus
. Grue - you're deliberately ignoring important factors like a mechanism, agent, or system.
 
Oh?
 
Then you are contradicting this lettered TEACHER of "E" who says............
 
In my opinion, understanding the mechanism is not necessary for accepting an observation as fact.
 
here --> http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1077306/posts?page=257#257

438 posted on 02/17/2004 7:46:23 AM PST by Elsie (When the avalanche starts... it's too late for the pebbles to vote....)
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To: Ophiucus
Right. Everything was perfect in the good old days.

I grew up in the good old days. I don't recall them being that different from the more recent days in which my kids attended school. Except that there are more stories being written in the press about the things we used to keep quiet about.

439 posted on 02/17/2004 7:52:33 AM PST by js1138
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To: Virginia-American
>> Huh? Cassini Division

My mistake on the Cassini Division. My memory failed me in my old age. What I was referring to was the general scientific concensus that existed from about 1930 on (and perhaps before) on why the rings of saturn and the Cassini Division(s) existed. According to Sagan, everyone believed that theory as if it were fact. But, Sagan stated, Voyager proved it to be 100% wrong. My point is that if scientists have trouble understand physical processes in our small solar system, how are they to be believed on something as complex and as distant in both space and time as the so-called "Big Bang"? Further, none will venture into the realm of where the initial point or particle came from (a "particle" that must have been of infinite density, containing infinite energy). Then there is the matter of space and time. Sooner or later logic leads us (some kicking and screaming) to a creator with a divine intention that we all are a witness to.

Don't get me wrong about Sagan. I loved his Cosmos series, and I believe him to have been a brilliant person (except for his wacky politics); but he, like all others that venture in to the unprovable realms of creation and evolution always leave more questions unanswered than they answer.

>> do you have a better explanation for the observed recession of galaxies than the Big Bang? for the observed microwave background radiation than the Big Bang? for the observed abundances of hydrogen, deuterium, helium and lithium than the Big Bang?

You left out Dark Energy. When you figure it all out, get back to me.





440 posted on 02/17/2004 9:58:42 AM PST by PhilipFreneau
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