Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 alpha 5/22/85; site cbosgd.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!rlp From: rlp@cbosgd.UUCP (Bob Platt) Newsgroups: net.origins Subject: Re: Catastrophic Evolution Message-ID: <1403@cbosgd.UUCP> Date: Thu, 15-Aug-85 20:16:07 EDT Article-I.D.: cbosgd.1403 Posted: Thu Aug 15 20:16:07 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 18-Aug-85 02:23:23 EDT References: <369@imsvax.UUCP> Reply-To: rlp@cbosgd.UUCP (Bob Platt) Distribution: net Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus Lines: 31 Keywords: dealing with Irish Elk >From: ted@imsvax.UUCP (Ted Holden) >The nastiest problem which Darwinists face, in my estimation, >explaining the development of ancient animals INTO a >situation of size and weight which would totally prohibit >their very existence on this planet >The basic manner in which this problem is now >handled by "scientists" like Mr. Jefferys is to hope that it >goes away or that nobody notices it. A rich analogy for dealing with supposed problems like this comes from hydrodynamics. Water follows the principle of always seeking the lowest level, yet a stream's course is determined solely by local conditions. A stream does not "know" if the valley it is flowing into is actually rising (due to plate tectonic forces). Moreover once a course is taken, it becomes ingrained. Likewise, as a species courses through "fitness space" always seeking the highest fitness, its evolution also follows a local determinism. It doesn't know if by going through a slightly less fit intermediate form, it may end up more fit in the end, or if the very evolutionary ground it is relying on may break up due to some cataclysm. In this light, many anti-Darwinian arguments become isomorphic to silly statements like "Lake Tahoe is compelling evidence that water does not tend to flow downhill." If this were the main problem with evolutionary theory, we would be fortunate, but many more serious ones need to be tackled. P.S. I'm looking forward to your article on legendary sources of information that bear on evolution. Joe Knapp (cbosgd!nscs!jmk)