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To: edsheppa
"Do you consider a selection function to be intelligent direction?" - edsheppa

This has already been covered in previous posts on both this as well as the previous thread.

In brief, if a selection function is placed into a system by any intelligent source, or if the selection function itself has built-in intelligence (say, a dictionary or a computer program), then yes, I would consider it to be a form of intelligent direction. On the other hand, if you are referring to a selection function that occurs naturally (e.g. the Law of Gravity), then no, I would not consider it to be a form of intelligent direction.

To avoid the deliberate obfuscation of many who would attempt to disrupt these threads, however, it is best that we consider only those selection functions that existed prior to the first viable life form being created.

In that lifeless world scenario, it is far easier to determine whether a selection function is "intelligent" or not.

Are you claiming that such a selection function is available for us to consider in regards to the first acids and bases becomming assembled into the first viable DNA based life form?

677 posted on 04/08/2002 10:05:29 PM PDT by Southack
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To: Southack
I take it then that any simulation we might make would be meaningless wrt this question as far as you're concerned. A pity. I find some of them very interesting and illuminating.

In that lifeless world scenario, it is far easier to determine whether a selection function is "intelligent" or not.

Really? How? You seem to be saying that chemistry is unintelligent but a simulation of chemistry (being created by an intelligence) would be intelligent and yet I see no essential difference.

680 posted on 04/09/2002 12:17:34 AM PDT by edsheppa
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