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Mayer talked about unity. Gould Dawkins and atheistic evolution talks about selfish genes. There are evolutionists that carry on the tradition of evolutionary paradigm of people like Mayr.evolutionist Ernst Mayr
Then why do you ignore the vast amounts of research that show conclusively that the Earth is billions of years old and that common descent is true? Why can I predict what I will find when I compare the genomes of two species and a creationist can't, if all I have is an opinion?I can also quote that Wood believes the earth is 6,000 years old as a matter of faith (as do I), but I'm more interested in results of research than personal opinions.
I also ignore the vast amounts of religious beliefs of people who do not follow Christianity (currently ~5 billion people). So, volume and vastness of research/effort doesn't directly correlate to truth as the only possible outcome. Neither does "predictability" correlate to common descent as the only possible explanation. This is no more convincing than the alleged predictability of faunal succession where research has shown the majority of the time is missing layers, out of order, inverted, et...Then why do you ignore the vast amounts of research that show conclusively that the Earth is billions of years old and that common descent is true? Why can I predict what I will find when I compare the genomes of two species and a creationist can't, if all I have is an opinion?
I've spent lots of time reading Bible passages, too, but I've also had time to observe the evidence for common descent. (Sarcasm contributes very little, by the way.)
As Speedwell points out, the rest of what you wrote seems not to undercut the case for evolution at all, and in fact does not address the evidence for common descent in any way.
Because, as I explained to you earlier, the "limits" implied by those quotes are not fixed limits of phenotype.I don't know how that can be. The evidence that animals can change but within only specific limits does undercut the argument for common descent because common descent supposes that simple organisms evolved into multi-celled organisms and then eventually man. Saying there are limits to change in animals undercuts evolution between different animals just like limits to change in a bicycle and motorcycle and car undercuts common ancestry connecting bicycle to motorcycle and car (i.e. some bicycles eventually evolve into motorcycles that evolve into cars). If we were to find evidence that, say, bacteria or any other one-celled organism cannot change to anything other than a one-celled organism that would be evidence against common descent.
So how exactly does what I presented in my quotes earlier where I alluded to my article about Gould not falsify common descent?
some people insist that "dogs will always be dogs", but there is nothing to anyone's knowledge that would ever prevent genetic change from continuing to occur up to and beyond a genus level.
Agreed. In the general theory of evolution, the assertion is that all life has a common ancestor; however, this assertion has never been observed, cannot be measured, and has never been successfully reproduced as the result of a laboratory experiment. To observe, measure, experiment... these are all part of the scientific method and scientifically evolution falls below this standard, hence as you have put it - evolution is outside the realm of genuine science.This is similar to Trekies believing in traveling at velocities beyond the speed of light, even though modern, mathematical models show us that to do so would mean that all matter becomes energy, thus the impossibility of achieving a any greater velocity beyond light speed, which is known as "C".
Imagining what might be, and yet is still unobserved and is unobservable, that STILL places it all outside the realm of genuine science.
Okay, you only ignore the scientific research that disagrees with your religious belief (i.e. 99.99% of it). So when you said, "but I'm more interested in results of research than personal opinions," what you meant was, "I don't care what the results of research are if they disagree with my personal opinions."I also ignore the vast amounts of religious beliefs of people who do not follow Christianity (currently ~5 billion people). So, volume and vastness of research/effort doesn't directly correlate to truth as the only possible outcome.
Well, I took to keeping up on my evolution once again and recently (well, last year) purchased a used copy of Dawkins' Greatest Show on Earth. Dawkins is obviously the well-known evolutionist spouting what he thinks is conclusive proof of evolution when my opinion is that it is not. Dawkins, in one of his chapters, talks about evolution we can observe (the origin of new breeds of dogs, for instance) and everything he talks about can be understood as a change within "kinds" (to use the Biblical phrase) or perhaps change within species, if you like. Then Dawkins nails it down. Dawkins suggests that if we just extrapolate the evolution he believes in will happen. Quoting Dawkins:
"What lessons do we learn from the domestication of the dog? First, the great variety among the breeds of dogs . . . demonstrates how easily it is for the non-random selection of genes – the ‘carving and whittling’ of gene pools – to produce truly dramatic changes in anatomy and behaviour, [sic] and so fast – the difference between breeds so dramatic – that you might expect their evolution to take millions of years instead of just a matter of centuries. If so much evolutionary change can be achieved in just a few centuries or even decades, just think what might be achieved in ten or a hundred million years"
Well, by golly, this evolution is sure impressive. But then again, if you extrapolate anything you are bound to find the evidence you seek. Maybe after millions of years all the dogs will be just different breeds of dogs and not undergo changes wider than that. We wouldn't know from Dawkins who just assumes evolution can produce whatever he demands. How about opera singing unicorns? Betcha evolution can produce that too if we just give it millions of years. Dawkins gives us no reason to think his extrapolate argument is correct other than assuming the fact of evolution.
In my library I have a book by Norman Macbeth who, back in the 1970s, surveys the evolutionist literature and found evolutionist Ernst Mayr who said animals have a resistance to change Mayr calls “genetic homeostasis.” Mayr is further quoted by Macbeth as saying "Obviously any drastic improvement under selection must seriously deplete the store of genetic variability. . . The most frequent correlated response of one-sided selection is a drop in general fitness. This plagues virtually every breeding experiment.” This book, quoted by lawyer Phillip Johnson in his book Darwin on Trial, should be known by Dawkins but Dawkins doesn't mention any such claims about the limits of evolution. Mayr is not the only evolutionist to point out such limits either. Why? Probably because Dawkins doesn't want to believe such limits exist. BTW Macbeth's book is Darwin Retried.
That's not the only problem with Dawkins, but that should get you going on doubts about Dawkins.
Their arguments are based on "When given a lot, a lot of time, anything can happen". I still think theory of evolution is nonsense.
In the field of statistical probability, there is a law called "the law of large numbers". It states that in the long term, the cumulative probability will be close to the expected value. So, given a lot a lot of time, certainly extraordinary things would happen, but the frequency they would happen would be limited. For example, if you throw a coin 10 times, you would not get 10 heads in a row. But if you throw it 10000 times, certainly you might have 10 heads in a row sometimes. Still, you wouldn't have that happen constantly. How often that happens depends on the expected probability value. The same for evolution. If evolution were true, what we see today would be full of living things which look like they are incomplete or have design flaws. This is my humble opinion, correct me if I'm wrong.
Happily -- you're wrong. Or more accurately, you haven't made an argument. You have a correct premise, "As the sample size increases, the mean value of a set of random variables approaches its expectation value", and you have a conclusion, "Evolution is nonsense", but you failed to make any logical connection between the premise and the conclusion.Their arguments are based on "When given a lot, a lot of time, anything can happen". I still think theory of evolution is nonsense.
In the field of statistical probability, there is a law called "the law of large numbers". It states that in the long term, the cumulative probability will be close to the expected value. So, given a lot a lot of time, certainly extraordinary things would happen, but the frequency they would happen would be limited. For example, if you throw a coin 10 times, you would not get 10 heads in a row. But if you throw it 10000 times, certainly you might have 10 heads in a row sometimes. Still, you wouldn't have that happen constantly. How often that happens depends on the expected probability value. The same for evolution. If evolution were true, what we see today would be full of living things which look like they are incomplete or have design flaws. This is my humble opinion, correct me if I'm wrong.
What I really meant was, "I don't care what the results of research are that are not actually from observation/are measurable/are testable (ie. the scientific method) and do not agree with the word of God." If you want to call that "personal opinion", then yes, yes that is correct.Okay, you only ignore the scientific research that disagrees with your religious belief (i.e. 99.99% of it). So when you said, "but I'm more interested in results of research than personal opinions," what you meant was, "I don't care what the results of research are if they disagree with my personal opinions."
What I really meant was, "I don't care what the results of research are that are not actually from observation/are measurable/are testable (ie. the scientific method) and do not agree with the word of God." If you want to call that "personal opinion", then yes, yes that is correct.
See post #50 above - the theory of evolution is sub par to the standard of the scientific method. It has never been observed, cannot be measured, and has never been reproduced in nature nor the optimal conditions of a laboratory experimentally.
I'm seeing an interesting dichotomy: on one hand we have uniformitarianism that suggests all things gradually happen as they do today at present rates with present processes. This is the geological argument against catastrophism/biblical creationism. Now flip that upside down (or turn it inside out) and evolutionary theory says that just because we cannot observe something "evolving", it doesn't mean it didn't happen and that anything can evolve into anything given the right selection pressures, mutations, and the magical pixie dust of deep time. This is an odd mental splitting because what is actually observed is that catastrophies do happen in geological processes (ex. Mt. St. Helens, creating many rock layers in a short amount of time), and life is observed never evolving with the emergence of a new kind (baramin/family) - instead we just get the occasional new species/subspecies within an already existing created kind.
Broth KomatiiteBIF! Hope all is well friend. I do enjoy these debates, especially with you... so here we go:You have demonstrated multiple times that you lack the knowledge necessary to judge scientific work. You critique geological science, and yet you cant even read a geologic map.
Your words are meaningless with respect to science.
It is one thing to critique science from a perspective based upon interpretation of scripture. But, its another to attempt to critique science, on scientific grounds, when you are unable to genuinely due that, due to a lack of understanding.
"did not use new DNA that resulted from mutations + natural selection"
But the ecoli has changed, phenotypically and genotypically, as a result of mutations that have produced new DNA, ^ and it was observed.
Are you denying this?
The research is of directly observed beneficial mutations that increase fitness and their fixation through 66,000 generations. They are in fact using new DNA that has resulted from mutations and natural selection.
You really aren't in a place to critique anything geology or paleontology related, if you aren't knowledgeable of the subject. Not from a scientific stance at least. Your words really are meaningless.
Also, I am doing well, thanks. Hope you are as well.
Hi KomatiiteBIF, I guess we are going to jump thread again
anyway, according to E. coli long-term evolution experiment - Wikipedia, other people were able to produce the citr+ e.coli in just 12 to 100 generations, meaning the ability is most likely one of the variations of e.coli, but in natural environments, the citr+ ability is likely causing more harm then good so they got selected out by natural selection. So in this sense @NobleMouse is correct, that this is just one of the existing permutation of the possible mutations of e.coli, nothing new.
What you have stated regarding phenotype and genotype does not correlate to evolution of a new kind with new functional systems; however, evolution leading to new kinds with completely new functional systems is exactly what is required to evolve from a protozoa to a human (the broader assertion of the theory of evolution)."did not use new DNA that resulted from mutations + natural selection"
But the ecoli has changed, phenotypically and genotypically, as a result of mutations that have produced new DNA, ^ and it was observed.
Are you denying this?
Again, loss of function is not the result of "using new DNA" - it is a loss of function due to mutated DNA - not beneficial. Also, as I stated before in post #57 (and numerous times before), the E.Coli is still E.Coli. This is not a new "kind", not a new "baramin", not a new "family" of a living organism. This is a variation of an existing E.Coli bacteria, not a wholesale new living organism - this is not an example of evolution of a new kind observed either in nature or observed/repeated in a laboratory. This is why not only creationist scientists, but also why some other scientists (and I do stress it is only some) have dissented from Darwinism, including some who are Atheists and have no religious agenda, and why despite all of the research and illustrations and arguments for evolutionary theory, that only about half of all people accept it. This is why I've said that evolution takes things like the E.Coli experiment and extends what is seen (loss of function in E.Coli) into supporting what is never seen (evolution of new created kinds) - it is "an opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information" - the very definition of conjecture.The research is of directly observed beneficial mutations that increase fitness and their fixation through 66,000 generations. They are in fact using new DNA that has resulted from mutations and natural selection.
I've not made anything up, these are true statements from discoveries made in recent decades and over the last 100 years. "Living fossils" really have been found for life that has been said to have gone extinct millions of years ago as conventionally dated by the fossil record within the geologic column. It is true. I generally provide support for any critique I have against science, these are not critiques I've thought of or invented in my own isolated mind... and I'm always happy to provide support upon request. As for evidence for living fossils, here are a few references:You really aren't in a place to critique anything geology or paleontology related, if you aren't knowledgeable of the subject. Not from a scientific stance at least. Your words really are meaningless.
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