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To: js1138
ca·pri·cious –adjective
1. subject to, led by, or indicative of caprice or whim; erratic: He's such a capricious boss I never know how he'll react.
2. Obsolete. fanciful or witty.


Sounds like random, unguided, non-intelegently designed evolution to me!
198 posted on 08/14/2008 9:31:56 AM PDT by cartoonistx
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To: cartoonistx
Sounds like random, unguided, non-intelligently designed evolution to me!

I suppose it might, to someone who hasn't thought about it.

In general terms there are physical phenomena that can be modeled by strict determinism. Billiard balls and clockworks are the common metaphors for this kind of analysis.

The other class of phenomena are those ruled by statistics. The casino is a good metaphor. Each roll of the dice is unguided, but the house is guaranteed a steady income.

Most really interesting phenomena need to be analyzed as versions of the casino. Quantum physics, weather, and living things. The fact there is a level at which "random" events occurs does not alter the fact that the house has a steady income. In evolution, change is random, but randomness does not characterize the direction or trend of populations. Selection prunes populations the way a gardener prunes a topiary.

Darwin's great insight was that there are gardeners and there are grazers, and both shape the tree of life.

221 posted on 08/14/2008 10:26:00 AM PDT by js1138
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