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Did we not establish days ago that the patent in question was pending?

No "WE" didn't. The claim was made that numerous patents for evolved inventions were granted. I pointed out that in the article one of the participants claimed that "If (as we expect) the patent is granted, we believe that it will be the first one granted for an invention created by genetic programming.". Clearly, that prohibits even one patent existing for a invention created by genetic programming.

Are you not aware that pending patent applications cannot be searched, only granted patents?

Gee, didn't you get the impression that I am capable of looking for things and can read and do read instructions?

This home page "http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html" has a boxed area containing a green area and a yellow area. The green area has this title ---> Issued Patents (full-text since 1976, full-page images since 1790)

And the yellow area has this title ---> Patent Applications (published since 15 March 2001)

I guess that means that patent applications can be searched.

You have managed to demonstrate that we don't know the status of the patent application. Big Whup. If you can get a patent for toast you can get one for a circuit improvement, most likely.

Is this part of the argument really important to you? What will become of your argument if, in a dozen years, there are many such patents? Are you staking your position on the bet that this won't happen?

If so can we come back at a later time and and ask you to retract your arguments? And if you aren't willing to stake your position on the lack of patents, why are you making such a big deal out of the fact that no one at FR can point to the patent?

>>I guess that means that patent applications can be searched.<<

According to my husband, who has been a patent examiner for 15 years, and is a Primary Examiner, you cannot search applications for pending patents. You can search applications once a patent is granted.

You might try searching through European patent applications - those are published. Sometimes inventors apply simultaneously for American and European patents -- but certainly not always.

BTW, I have no idea what good it would do you to see a published patent -- the mere fact that something is patented is not proof that it works. The USPTO hasn't required working models for many, many years.

So, given your skepticism, the only way to prove what is claimed is to actually build the thing in question and test it yourself.

As many have already said, write to the inventor, explain your position, and see if he is willing to assist you in your quest for knowledge.