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To: ahayes; AndrewC; Ichneumon
It's only the pre-determined target because we have a monstrous mound of evidence saying it is a reasonable target. Because we have this monstrous mound of evidence, if we get one little widget of evidence that's a bit confusing, it makes sense to think about a way in which it fits into the monstrous mound of evidence without disturbing it. A little history here.

A few years back, Andrew C was convinced he had found an anomaly that would bring evolution down. He'd found a gene which looked to be more similar in chickens and humans than it was in mice and humans. He'd actually learned to use BLAST and compare sequences: very impressive, given that very few creationists do their own research. At the time, I didn't know how to use any of these tools, and was comparing sequences by hand; but indeed, the three genes were as he said they were. Anyway, after some digging around, I discovered he was using the wrong mouse gene. There was a second, more distantly related homolog on the X-chromosome, IIRC. When you found the right mouse gene, indeed mice and humans looked like they'd diverged after the two had separated from chickens.

Instead of learning the right lesson: that by, and large, if there's a well established theory and you find what looks like a significant anomaly, it's most likely you made a mistake, he's instead convinced that evolution has immunized itself against such anomalies. That's a shame. One should always be able to admit one's errors.

451 posted on 03/08/2006 3:45:01 AM PST by Right Wing Professor
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To: AndrewC
He'd actually learned to use BLAST and compare sequences: very impressive

Congratulations! I admire your initiative.

453 posted on 03/08/2006 4:36:35 AM PST by ahayes
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To: Right Wing Professor
A few years back, Andrew C was convinced he had found an anomaly that would bring evolution down

See, that is your Darwinian logic. I stated no such thing. Your errant mind reading produced that result. I pointed out what I saw, and I saw a problem. Many other people do the same.

744 posted on 03/08/2006 7:18:54 PM PST by AndrewC (Darwinian logic -- It is just-so if it is just-so)
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