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Thanks for sharing that! I really did not understand most of what Odell was trying to imply (I just don't have enough knowledge of science) although I was really trying to grap the "transitor radio" design concept and how he was using that as an example.

It made me realize the "NETWORK" operates the process. However, Odell never once answers his own question about "How" a cell knows. If he answered it, I never got it. When he uses the phrase, "working in a mysterious way" it's a dead give away. His conclusion about what makes the design is pure conjecture because he never concludes HOW the Robust patterns form in the first place! He goes around in circles about this and interjects his "opinions" about the process.

Odell's explanation made me realize even more how complex life and design are which strengthens the evidence towards intellegent design and why science must be honest about it's precepts and conclusions. Science must continue to work to understand this complexity of life and stop thinking certain answers are not viable based on turning a blind eye to a mountian of evidence, or just because it would involve investigating an invisible world.

I can however, appreciate his work.

Actually I think you took the opposite message from the lecture than was intended.

The networks he was modeling, unlike a transistor radio, are extremely robust. While the transistor radio fails when one part is misadjusted, the networks that Odell was modeling turned out to be extremely robust. Even with randomly generated parts, it was difficult to create a model one that would not function!

That led to the title of his lecture:

Making Genetic Networks Operate Robustly: Unintelligent Non-design Suffices
Abstract: Mathematical computer models of two ancient and famous genetic networks act early in embryos of many different species to determine the body plan. Models revealed these networks to be astonishingly robust, despite their 'unintelligent design.' This examines the use of mathematical models to shed light on how biological, pattern-forming gene networks operate and how thoughtless, haphazard, non-design produces networks whose robustness seems inspired, begging the question what else unintelligent non-design might be capable of.

For the lurkers who have no idea what we are talking about, the link to this lecture is here. It is highly recommended.