Criteria for determining design

[crjmurray]

This thread is for those who believe in Intelligent Design and also for those who believe in Evolution. I don't like using the word believe for either one but there it is.

If you were to look at an organism how would you determine design? What is the criteria you would use? How does this criteria relate to a deity?

Sorry everybody, but there is no poll associated with this thread

For clarification purposes:
Design: purpose, planning, or intention that exists or is thought to exist behind an action, fact, or material object.

For our purposes: planning, or intention that exists behind a material object.
Thanks to TFY for the suggestion

 

[ThinkForYourself]

This thread is for those who believe in Intelligent Design and also for those who believe in Evolution. I don't like using the word believe for either one but there it is.

If you were to look at an organism how would you determine design? What is the criteria you would use? How does this criteria relate to a deity?

Sorry everybody, but there is no poll associated with this thread

This is a really interesting question. And what do you mean by designed? This is going to get complicated in the not too distant future:

If we manipulate the genes of a sheep egg, and turn it into a super sheep that grows to 6 feet tall, can run 50 mph, has razor sharp teeth, and produces lamb, bacon, and cheese, is it considered designed or natural?

 

[bhsmte]

This thread is for those who believe in Intelligent Design and also for those who believe in Evolution. I don't like using the word believe for either one but there it is.

If you were to look at an organism how would you determine design? What is the criteria you would use? How does this criteria relate to a deity?

Sorry everybody, but there is no poll associated with this thread

Unless we have a workable definition for design and a way to test it with falsification, it is all speculation.

 

[crjmurray]

This is a really interesting question. And what do you mean by designed? This is going to get complicated in the not too distant future:

If we manipulate the genes of a sheep egg, and turn it into a super sheep that grows to 6 feet tall, can run 50 mph, has razor sharp teeth, and produces lamb, bacon, and cheese, is it considered designed or natural?

Some would say that if we manipulated genes then it would qualify for design. My parents breed brahman. Putting the biggest bull in a pasture with the healthiest heifer could qualify as manipulation but I don't think anyone would call the eventual calf "designed". Those questions are better left to people who focus on science and not to people like me.

I'd like to wait for some replies before we really get into that.

 

[crjmurray]

Unless we have a workable definition for design and a way to test it with falsification, it is all speculation.

Oh COME ON GUYS!!!! PLAY MY GAME!!!

 

[bhsmte]

Oh COME ON GUYS!!!! PLAY MY GAME!!!

You will get some people to play along, don't worry.

 

[ThinkForYourself]

Oh COME ON GUYS!!!! PLAY MY GAME!!!

We're waiting for the definition of design. How about this as a starting point (from google dictionary)

Design:
purpose, planning, or intention that exists or is thought to exist behind an action, fact, or material object.

For our purposes: planning, or intention that exists behind a material object.

 

[crjmurray]

We're waiting for the definition of design. How about this as a starting point (from google dictionary)

Design:
purpose, planning, or intention that exists or is thought to exist behind an action, fact, or material object.

For our purposes: planning, or intention that exists behind a material object.

Fiiiiine. I'll fix it.

 

[Davian]

I would change it around to: by what criteria to we determine that something is not designed. When everything is 'designed' the word becomes meaningless.

 

[crjmurray]

I would change it around to: by what criteria to we determine that something is not designed. When everything is 'designed' the word becomes meaningless.

Hey! Go create your own thread!

 

[Davian]

lol.

 

[quatona]

This thread is for those who believe in Intelligent Design and also for those who believe in Evolution. I don't like using the word believe for either one but there it is.

If you were to look at an organism how would you determine design?

By making huge assumptions based on my religious convictions?

 

[crjmurray]

By making huge assumptions based on my religious convictions?

Let's give someone a chance before we start the mocking.

 

[quatona]

Let's give someone a chance before we start the mocking.

Ok. I have no idea how one can possibly have such criteria. All I personally feel able to do is to spot human design (with a certain margin of error).

 

[Split Rock]

This thread is for those who believe in Intelligent Design and also for those who believe in Evolution. I don't like using the word believe for either one but there it is.

If you were to look at an organism how would you determine design? What is the criteria you would use? How does this criteria relate to a deity?

Sorry everybody, but there is no poll associated with this thread

For clarification purposes:
Design: purpose, planning, or intention that exists or is thought to exist behind an action, fact, or material object.

For our purposes: planning, or intention that exists behind a material object.
Thanks to TFY for the suggestion

Nowadays, this is very easy. If it has a label on it that says, "Made in China," it is designed. If it does not, chances are it is not designed. LOL!

 

[Loudmouth]

If you were to look at an organism how would you determine design? What is the criteria you would use? How does this criteria relate to a deity?

I would expect design units to be found where they make sense, and I would expect them to be dispersed in a fashion that is unlike evolution.

For example, when I see a shark and dolphin fin they look very similar from the outside. Therefore, I would think that a common designer of the shark and dolphin would not modify a limb from land dwelling mammal to make a fin that looks like a shark. That makes no sense.

 

[Loudmouth]

Ok. I have no idea how one can possibly have such criteria. All I personally feel able to do is to spot human design (with a certain margin of error).

To be fair, I think you can determine that this is designed.

We can determine that certain things were designed by other species.

 

[selfinflikted]

To be fair, I think you can determine that this is designed.

We can determine that certain things were designed by other species.

But not without some context. If this nest were in a tree, it'd be safe to assume a bird built it. But as it is, it's just as likely that a human made it. People use birdnests for decorations in like, wreaths and junk.

 

[Loudmouth]

But not without some context. If this nest were in a tree, it'd be safe to assume a bird built it. But as it is, it's just as likely that a human made it. People use birdnests for decorations in like, wreaths and junk.

There are ways of differentiating between the two. In a real bird's nest, we would expect bird spittle on the individual branches, feces, bird feathers with DNA that matches the spittle, etc.

 

[selfinflikted]

There are ways of differentiating between the two. In a real bird's nest, we would expect bird spittle on the individual branches, feces, bird feathers with DNA that matches the spittle, etc.

That's true. But from the pic, it's not so easy to tell.