evolution, Darwin, religion, other musings

Discussion in 'Science & Society' started by EmptyForceOfChi, Jul 9, 2007.

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  1. river-wind Valued Senior Member

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    just to be a pain in the ass, I disagree. I favor the idea that abiogenesis is a natural occurrence, and has happened multiple times. I'd say that the chances are good that all cellular life is connected to a single ancestor eventually, though archaea/archaebacteria may be an outlier. Hard to say.

    As to Darwin's wife, H.R.hit the nail on the head. See the Logical fallacy of "appeal to authority" as to why Darwin's wife plays no part in this debate, unless she can offer some evidence to contradict the theory. Her opinion is of equal importance on the matter as anyone else's, and is thus not very helpful in determining truth.
     
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2007
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  3. Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

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    I don't understand how you're disagreeing with him. You appear to be saying the same thing, although your language is much clearer because it's more scientific.

    Didn't they discover some weird critters a few years ago living in sulphur vents two miles underground (or something like that) that seem to have a different biology than ours?

    If it turns out that life arose independently twice on one planet, it will greatly change our expectations of finding it elsewhere.
     
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  5. sniffy Banned Banned

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    We've been so bombarded by the god did argument for so long that it has made us blind to the possibilities and sheer tenacity of 'life'and its ability to 'generate' in the most inhospitable conditions (extreme cold, extreme heat, extreme darkness, etc). I suspect the changing climate and the other challenges faced by all current life on earth will see a few high speed evolutionary changes occuring and therefore observable within our lifetimes. Indeed I think there is a book recently out on the subject but I can't for the life of me remember the name or its author!! Help someone please!

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  7. guthrie paradox generator Registered Senior Member

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    Given the title of the thread, it should probably be in philosophy rather than here.
     
  8. John99 Banned Banned

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    I have studied marine biology extensively, perhaps you are not willing to consider evidence pragmatically.

    Your assessment of scientific evidence may be optimistic, i never said anything about hat size or hair color, if all you want to do is discredit a person then make stuff up.

    You may think it is a joke to consider that no lineage exists between species, would you then consider all evolution discussions obsolete? Forget about experiments in labs with bacteria etc. because there is the real chance that these observations have absolutely NO bearing on Darwin's vision of evolution.
     
  9. river-wind Valued Senior Member

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    The sea floor vent ecosystems have a different source of energy and chemicals for the basic organic compounds needed, but they still seemed to be similar on a cellular level to other eukaryote and prokaryote life. Many people were talking about the possiblity of life having started there, and then evolving to use sun-based energy only as they spread farther out from the vents.

    I'd say that viruses are a better example of live having started out (at least partially) independently - no cell membrane, different reproductive molecule, no real sense of metabolism as we would currently consider it. IMO, viruses are a kind of life that formed independently from cellular life, *after* cellular life had already existed for a while and taken over the planet (and thus common enough for a parasitic relationship to form as viruses were "becoming" for lack of a better word). This would explain their differences as well as their pure reliance on cellular life for reproduction.
     
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2007
  10. Ophiolite Valued Senior Member

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    H.Rockefeller's remarks are addressed to your introduction of Darwin's possible conversion to Christianity, as evidenced by the behaviour of his wife and changes in burial plans. He rightly points out, as I did earlier, that those observations are wholly irrelevant to the theory. Just as irrelevant as Darwin's hat size, or his wife's hair colour.
    I do not think it is a joke to consider the possibility that no lineage exists between species. However, I know it is anachronistic. This possibility has been fully explored. The evidence - the overwhelming evidence - is in. The fields of palaeontology, comparative anatomy, genetics and developmental biology all confirm that species are linked through common ancestors. Unless some very substantial new observations arise, then it is a waste of time to consider this. We might as well consider the possibility that water is actually purple and always flows uphill.
     
  11. river-wind Valued Senior Member

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    What you are asking is a question asked in high school biology all over the country.

    "If A looks like B, does that mean that A is related to B?" Often, the answer is no.

    However, we are not just looking at the morphology of specimens to determine relationships. Certainly, there is guesswork involved in drawing a heredity timeline, and the tree will change as new information come to light. (edit: educated guesswork, though)

    But if you don't know why neanderthals are currently considered *not* a part of the Homo sapiens sapiens ancestry, then of course it will look like a childish "well these seem similar" sort of ordering. Once you've read the reasoning behind why the tree is currently shaped how it is, you might have a better idea as to why it has some weight behind it.
     
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2007
  12. Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

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    It looks like the moderator changed the original title to address that issue. So far the argument has stayed within the parameters of science so I don't see anything wrong with leaving it here. I probably wouldn't want it in Biology because that is not the place to argue against fundamental principles when everyone else is just trying to find out how photosynthesis works. But this is the place to hold that argument as long as it remains scholarly.
    I see, thanks.
    So viruses are in essence a strange little kind of parasite--or perhaps a symbiote from their point of view--and they thrive because they found an ecological niche. But still, aren't they built from DNA? If life originated in two separate iterations, wouldn't you expect them to be more different than that? Carbon-based like the rest of us, sure. Earth isn't the right environment for silicon-based life or many other types that have been imagined. But DNA???
     
  13. river-wind Valued Senior Member

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    I should have been more specific, I was thinking of RNA-based viruses, not the Group I and Group II's which have DNA.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA_virus DNA is much more complicated, and we don't fully understand how it came about, especially given how easy it is to destroy in most environments.

    If life is an expected result from the basic functions of the grey area between physics and chemistry, then would independent life actually be fairly similar?

    If lipids form bi-layer spheres just based on their chemical properties (which they do), then they might form cell membranes multiple times. If RNA self-replicates based purely on its bonding properties (which it does), then it could be expected to form a genetic code molecule multiple times.

    Or not. I'm no longer in the field, so my knowledge is outdated. Maybe this has been shown unlikely, and just haven't seen the studies. Again, this is my own personnaly held belief based on what evidence I have seen; not a commonly accepted scientific theory. It was pointed out in another thread that some papers have been published on the subject, but not many.


    edit: given the presence of DNA-based viruses, either
    1) viruses are somehow related to VERY early cellular life, and went a different route
    2) viruses are related somewhere to cellular life, and shed un-needed features over the years (like the 'cell' aspect)
    3) viruses arose independently from cellular life.

    if 3 is correct, then the presense of both DNA and RNA versions would suggest either:
    1) the two types of viruses arose independently
    2) they are related, both used RNA initially, but one group evolved from RNA->DNA at one point

    I'd say that 2 is more likely, given that 1 would most likely require a RNA->DNA evolutionary stage anyway. Item 2 would suggest that either:
    1) RNA->DNA happens spontaneously once the proper environment has been created - that it is a natural chemical step in the process, for cellular and non-cellular life
    2) that some viruses, in infecting host cellular life, managed to "pickup" DNA strands along the way, and eventually adapted to use it for their own needs.
     
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2007
  14. Saquist Banned Banned

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    There is no evidence to suggest that heredity has ever altered a life form across the scientific classifications. Is that what you don't understand? If you don't think this is true perhaps you be so good as to illistrate.

    Animals change but there is no evidence that tells us that those changes are nothing more than the allowed for genetic variation inherient in every life form.

    You are suggesting that you can change your windows XP to Vista by altering you profile prefrences. Apparently all that is needed is time.

    No matter how much time passes your XP will never become Vista, unless you buy the new OP system. Likewise with animals. We dealing with the most complex information and programing in the known universe. It was designed to maintain it's form yet allow for variation.
     
  15. river-wind Valued Senior Member

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    Except for all the times that have been pointed out to you over the past year. chiclid fish, fruit flies, a few butterfly species.

    You seemed to be accepting of the idea that species diverged. No longer?

    The classification system is a human construct. Why would nature limit itself to fit those artificial boundaries?

    EXACTLY! and change a little here, a little there, a little more here, some more over here, a bit on the top, some more of the left, and a tiny tweak to this part....and you're a new species.

    It like you're saying that once Windows XP has been created, the programmers can't take the code, modify it a little bit everywhere, and sell it as Vista.

    And you base this claim on what evidence other than your supposed lack of evidence?
     
  16. Saquist Banned Banned

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    A change of spiecies of the same animal. Not evolution. That is were your understanding has been lacking. Perhaps I've failed to illistrate that animals don't change Phylums, Classes and Orders.

    And yet it has. Why. to maintain the programing of the original creature. That is a proven ability of DNA. 99% accuracy of replication. There is no allowance of augmentation only variables change.


    I'm sorry, but DNA simply does not allow.


    No that' what you're saying to make your point. But that's exactly what I'm saying. It can't be done by chance. And it certainly cain't be done without the propper tools, thus the need for that biochemical mechanism.

    No other evidence is required to prove that evolution is an assumption and not a fact. The DNA it'self is the nail in the coffin of the evolutionary hypothesis and the probability stats merely confirm what we already know. Evolution is impossible. Infact according to the stats there is nothing more impossibly improbable than evolution iteself.
     
  17. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    You are joking right ? Ofcourse (!) species dont jump phylums, classes and orders... what school did you ever go to (if any) ?
    This just tells me you dont understand the process of evolution AT ALL.

    99% still allows for change.. no?

    So what you are saying is that somehow the "beginning-state" of the DNA is stored somewhere to maintain the boundaries within which variaty can occur ??

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  18. guthrie paradox generator Registered Senior Member

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    You can't illustrate it. How would you even try?


    That'll be the DNA, mathematical examination of which has shown to follow rules which fit perfectly with the evolutionary theory. In fact, the DNA in which mutations occur with such regularity that they can be used to estimate dates.
     
  19. river-wind Valued Senior Member

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    Unless you can get DNA itself to explain to me why it has chosen to not allow this sort of change to itself, I'm going to doubt that this claim.

    What makes you so sure that DNA simply doesn't 'allow' for too much variation from it's origination point? How can others verify this hypothesis?

    US federal law doesn't allow for the use of marijuana, but it still happens.
     
  20. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    I'll ask again, Saquist. How does DNA, according to you, maintain a memory of its origin point ?
     
  21. Saquist Banned Banned

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    And they are also limited. The predictability is a stop sign.
    Mutation of any creature has a reoccurance of variation. There are not endless variations of mutations. This is proven. Without that endless variation that 1% of chanageable DNA is decidedly isolated. Once again proving DNA's purpose is replicate exactly, not to allow for endless variations.
     
  22. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    Youre acting as if evolution would have a purpose, it has not.
     
  23. (Q) Encephaloid Martini Valued Senior Member

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    And the flu doesn't exist, either. Especially that of it's various mutations.

    So, when male/female breed, which set of DNA is replicated?
     
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