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Evolution - the illusion of a scientific theory

Split Rock

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Now if you want to talk about adaptation or variation within kind/species, that's fine. As long as you don't try to tell me that Tigers and Lions that interbreed and have fertile offspring, are two separate species. .

Please define "kind" for us.
 
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Naturalism

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There is nothing, not a single solitary experiment that has ever shown the feasibility of one species changing into another.

Unless you sample these.

Mutations never create anything new, merely turn on dormant genes or turn off dominant ones, rearrange what is already there, or cross pathways and cause damage.

You're grossly oversimplifying this. First there a different types of mutations. If a mutation is a duplication of a genetic sequence this duplicate sequence can then encode new proteins and new functionality for the host while the existing sequence that was copied remains providing the existing functionality.

Similarly, if a point mutation occurs in which a frameshift occurs the reading of DNA changes you can also get a different expression. New function, via new "information".

Now if you want to talk about adaptation or variation within kind/species, that's fine.

So by your definition since you're using it interchangeably, when Noah took 2 of every "kind" onto the Ark he was literally taking 2 of every species.

Sure, millions of species all on the same boat all cared for by 8 people for nearly a year. What is so hard to believe about any of that?
 
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lifepsyop

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Loudmouth, I like this filter system. I can ignore all of your spam, and if you actually say something of substance then someone will quote it for you.

Loudmouth sez:

From that very abstract:

"Several possible resolutions are considered, including soft selection and synergistic epistasis among very slightly deleterious mutations."
Well Loudmouth, he's not gonna get published if he concludes Evolution couldn't happen. Those "possible resolutions" are highly speculative and unrealistic at best.
Not to mention, the problem has been sorted out in real populations, such as in this study:
What's funny is that you think this paper "sorted out" the problem.

Let's take a look at these statements made in the mutational meltdown paper loudmouth referenced. This is a good example of evolutionists letting their beliefs drive interpretation of the data.


"Although genome degradation is common among p-endosymbionts, we do not observe widespread p-endosymbiont extinction, suggesting that Muller's ratchet may be slowed or even stopped over time....

To determine whether selection is slowing the effects of Muller's ratchet, we determined the age of the Candidatus Riesia/sucking louse assemblage and analyzed the nucleotide substitution rates of several p-endosymbiont lineages that differ in the length of time that they have been associated with their insect hosts. We find that Riesia is the youngest p-endosymbiont known to date, and has been associated with its louse hosts for only 13–25 My. Further, it is the fastest evolving p-endosymbiont with substitution rates of 19–34% per 50 My."


The researchers are using the assumption that these populations have existed for millions of years as evidence that Muller's ratchet (slightly deleterious mutational load) is not a problem.

This is 'solving' the problem by saying "Well since we *know* Evolution is true, then this must not have been a problem." It's circular reasoning using the assumption as evidence.

And the literature is overloaded with papers like this that mix evolutionary beliefs into the data.
 
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sfs

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Because you equivocate 'change over time' with Evolution.
Huh? I can use evolutionary biology to predict things like the differences between species. You certainly seem to think that you've got a better model -- so where's the evidence? Let's see your prediction for the transition/transversion ratio when comparing humans and gorillas, for example.
 
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PsychoSarah

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This is why I sometimes sacrifice a little technicalities for ease of understanding.
 
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sfs

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Well Loudmouth, he's not gonna get published if he concludes Evolution couldn't happen. Those "possible resolutions" are highly speculative and unrealistic at best.What's funny is that you think this paper "sorted out" the problem.
Um, you do realize that this paper didn't actually demonstrate the existence of a problem, don't you? The author came up with a model of evolution; if the model is correct, then there is a puzzle that needs to be explained. But the model contains some highly unrealistic assumptions. It's a useful framework for thinking about some of the issues, but in no way does it accurately represent reality, or the expectations of a more realistic evolutionary model. In particular, both the mutational model and the treatment of soft selection make for easy mathematical handling, but have grave problems.
 
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lifepsyop

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I can only laugh listening to an evolutionist criticize models for "not accurately representing reality", yet they unquestioningly believe culled genetic accidents plus millions of years can turn fish into people.
 
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Paul of Eugene OR

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Hardly. What happens is that only a small step is assimilated into the species and becomes ubiquitous. then another small step in the direction of goats.

Not in a single generation, but over millions of years, a single celled life form yields . . . goats.
 
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Split Rock

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I can only laugh listening to an evolutionist criticize models for "not accurately representing reality", yet they unquestioningly believe culled genetic accidents plus millions of years can turn fish into people.

So, this is where all your high-minded arguments eventually lead to? Silly insults about you laughing at a geneticist who knows what he is talking about because your arguments fail. Not surprising, I suppose. Its also not surprising that you agree with the self-defeating insults of justlookinla, who calls science a "religion" and evolution "creationism" because he hates what he sees in the mirror. Sad.

You are now on my Ignore list. Have a nice life, and thanks for all the fish!
 
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sfs

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I can only laugh listening to an evolutionist criticize models for "not accurately representing reality", yet they unquestioningly believe culled genetic accidents plus millions of years can turn fish into people.
Your mockery does not speak well of you. Look, you were the one who brought up this paper, not me. If the paper is a problem, it has to be because it is an accurate representation of reality as understood by evolutionary biology; otherwise, what's the point? But it isn't.

Now, if you really want to propose this paper as a problem for evolution, I'm happy to work through it with you. You can explain why each component of the model accurately represents evolutionary (or any other biologically based) expectations. That will require looking at the details. So, are you willing to step up and defend this paper, or are you going to rely on content-free gibes like your response here?

Other challenges you've failed to meet: (1) Explain why evolutionary biologists can make accurate predictions about genomes they've never seen while creationists can't. (Obviously, coming up with some accurate creationist predictions would be even better.) (2) Explain why my ability to make predictions about new genomes has anything to do with equivocating between "Evolution" and "change over time".
 
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lifepsyop

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Your mockery does not speak well of you.

I just honestly find the way you evolutionists strain at gnats and swallow camels to be beyond ridiculous. You criticize things for 'lacking realism' yet eagerly accept the most far-fetched imaginations of the magical things you think nature can do over time.

Look, you were the one who brought up this paper, not me. If the paper is a problem

I think it is a problem, a rather well-known problem that is part of a greater problem for evolution in general - that natural selection really doesn't work well at all unless it is dealing with significant fitness signals, and that goes for either the inability of eliminating accumulating slightly deleterious mutants, or the inability of fixating slightly "beneficial" mutants.

This flies in the face of the general picture that evolutionists paint for the public - the mythology that natural selection is an extremely efficient function-finding machine that can select for the slightest benefits or against the slightest drawbacks in its mystical shaping of new types of organisms.



Your ambiguous claim about "predictions" is so loaded with baggage that I'm not going to waste my time trying to unpack it. If you have a particular argument to make, then why don't you make it instead of sending cryptic messages.

And you've failed to meet any of the challenges I've proposed in the last 20 pages of why Evolution fails as a scientific theory. It feels like you've been lurking in the background and now that you've seen the discussion finally go in a direction where you can try and dazzle people with complex jargon, you're chomping at the bit.

For instance, Mr. Biologist, I've noticed you've been conspicuously silent on the homology problem that I've been bringing up since Page 1. I wonder why that is?
 
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Loudmouth

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An argument from incredulity is a logical fallacy. Try again.

Also, you reject a theory based on observable and testable mechanisms while accepting a supernatural force that is neither observed nor testable. Perhaps you should focus on what you are supporting first.


You cut off the rest of sfs' post. Here is the rest.

"If the paper is a problem, it has to be because it is an accurate representation of reality as understood by evolutionary biology; otherwise, what's the point? But it isn't.

Now, if you really want to propose this paper as a problem for evolution, I'm happy to work through it with you. You can explain why each component of the model accurately represents evolutionary (or any other biologically based) expectations. That will require looking at the details. So, are you willing to step up and defend this paper, or are you going to rely on content-free gibes like your response here?"

So are you willing to put in some effort and defend the paper? If not, then what is your point? Why do you expect real scientists to do what you are unwilling to do? How can you complain scientists ignoring the paper when you are ignoring it?

Your ambiguous claim about "predictions" is so loaded with baggage that I'm not going to waste my time trying to unpack it. If you have a particular argument to make, then why don't you make it instead of sending cryptic messages.

Why should anyone put forth the effort of discussing science with you when you are so unwilling to discuss science?

And you've failed to meet any of the challenges I've proposed in the last 20 pages of why Evolution fails as a scientific theory.

Your fantasies are not challenges to real science.
 
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Loudmouth

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The researchers are using the assumption that these populations have existed for millions of years as evidence that Muller's ratchet (slightly deleterious mutational load) is not a problem.

It isn't assumed. Their age is measured.

If that is the only response you can must to that entire post, then you haven't dealt with the issue.

How can a mutation be slightly deleterious when it causes death? A lethal mutation is not slightly deleterious. It is strongly deleterious, and would be easily filtered out by natural selection.

If you want to claim that these mutations are not lethal, then there is no problem with mutational meltdown.

Again, someone may need to bump this post if they feel it is important to the discussion. I will let others be the judge.
 
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lasthero

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He's probably just going to ignore it anyway, but what the heck.
 
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lasthero

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