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To: bondserv
(The actual number is 7.4 x 10654.   There are indications that some of the amino acid positions may be "neutral," like spaces, which are less significant.  The current research indicates that these may be up to 10% of such positions, which would indicate that there are only 516 rather than 574 significant amino acid positions, in which case the specificity would reduce to 7.9 x 10503.)     This is still a pretty good finite approximation for infinity!  The likelihood of this specific sequence occurring by chance is clearly absurd. 

This is an approximation to inflinity only in the mind of someone totally ignorant of statistical mechanics. As I've written previiously, in a two ounce crystal of rocksalt, there are 2^(6.022*10^23) possible ways to arrange the sodium and chloride ions. However, the ions only crystallize in one way (exactly alternating ions in three dimensions). The odds against this happening are hugely greater than the odds against getting one of the millions of functional hemoglobin sequences. Yet it happens every time.

The second red herring is this:The likelihood of this specific sequence occurring by chance is clearly absurd. 

No one claims it happened by chance. It evolved from a simpler, monomeric globin protein, which evolved from a still simpler protein, etc.

I personally don't have the guts to gamble my eternity that the Bible might be wrong.

Yet he's bet the Bhagavad Gita, Koran and Diamond Sutra are wrong.

281 posted on 05/07/2004 8:13:54 AM PDT by Right Wing Professor
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To: Right Wing Professor
This is an approximation to inflinity only in the mind of someone totally ignorant of statistical mechanics. (emphasis added)

Bio
Chuck's plans to pursue a doctorate in electrical engineering at Stanford University were interrupted when he received a Congressional appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. Graduating with honors, He took his commission in the Air Force, and joined the Missile Program and eventually became Branch Chief of the Department of Guided Missiles. Chuck made the transition from the military to the private sector when he became a systems engineer with TRW, a large aerospace firm. He then went on to serve as a senior analyst with a non-profit think tank where he conducted projects for the intelligence community and the Department of Defense. During that time, Chuck earned a master's degree in engineering at UCLA, supplementing previous graduate work in applied mathematics, advanced statistics and information sciences.

He also worked for the Ford Motor Company where he established the first international industrial computer network. He has served as a consultant to the Board of Directors of Rockwell International for corporate acquisitions and has also participated in over 100 business ventures as a principal, strategic advisor, or turnaround specialist. During the past 30 years, Chuck has also served on the Board of Directors of over a dozen public companies, and was Chairman and CEO of six of them. You are leaving out a qualifier.

No one claims it happened by chance. It Miraculously evolved from a simpler, monomeric globin protein, which Miraculously evolved from a still simpler protein,(emphasis added)

You need to show exhaustive evidence that this occurs all the time, in many different scenarios, before we swallow that.

295 posted on 05/07/2004 12:31:20 PM PDT by bondserv (Alignment is critical!)
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