Tree of life not real (Introduction)

by David Turell , Friday, February 14, 2014, 20:48 (3912 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: New DNA studies say evolution goes back and forth in complexity through time, eventually more complex from the more simple, but a tortuous route.:
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> http://nautil.us/issue/9/time/evolution-youre-drunk
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> As Simon Conway Morris noted convergence smells of teleology.
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> Dhw: I don't know where convergence comes into this research, let alone teleology [,,,] The utter randomness and unpredictability of the evolutionary process described here speaks of anything but an ultimate purpose, other than individual organisms constantly seeking ways of coping with an ever changing environment.-
All I can do is quote SCM: On page 128 of "Life's Solution: he describes examples of convergence. He notes that biologists seem surprised and uneasy about the similarities and " I strongly suspect that some of these biologists sense the ghost of teleology looking over their shoulders". The subtitle of his book is "Inevitable Humans in an Lonely Universe". I follow his thinking. Life is programmed to try out many solutions to the challenges of existence. Why God chose this approach I do not know, but I undrstand your interpretation which comes from not being willing to look at teleology as a possibility.