[Nebullis]

Final point: the closest thing to DNA in modern man's experience is software. Yet no one who knows anything about software could ever believe that DOS could evolve into Windows XP by bitflip mutations. Yet how is it that millions of "educated" people believe something entirely different about DNA.

DOS and Windows XP are both binary (unlike genetics). Anyone who knows anything about software can easily see a pathway, in fact, multiple pathways between the two.

[maro]

By bitflips? And who cares whether it's binary or base 256? It's irrelevant. Binary can readily be translated into base ten or hex.

[Southack]

"DOS and Windows XP are both binary (unlike genetics). Anyone who knows anything about software can easily see a pathway, in fact, multiple pathways between the two."

DOS and Windows XP can both be considered as messages.

Anyone familiar with cryptography can tell you that to extract one message from another requires a Key and an Algorithm (which could be as simple as a bitflip, but more than likely would be much more complex).

The math in this thread effectively covers the mathematical probability/improbability of such a Key self-forming on its own at random (i.e. without intelligent intervention).

Essentially (though the actual number can vary slightly based upon definitions/pre-conditions used), the Key would have to be less than 96 bytes long for even a remote chance at forming "naturally."

Can you show a 96 byte Key that can extract the Windows XP "message" from DOS?

Not on your life.