Big brain evolution: changes in sapiens skull shape (Evolution)

by David Turell , Thursday, February 01, 2018, 18:31 (2485 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: The jello-like brain expanded and forced the skull to expand is what this means.

I know what it means. I pointed out that complexification and shrinkage are not the only scientific fact, and the question is why and how the jello-like brain expanded. Your comment is no answer to hypothesis (1).

We both admit the brain had to enlarge to create advances. We disagree with completely opposite theories.

dhw: 2) God added more neurons and connections BEFORE the souls of hominids/hominins thought up the new concepts that needed to be implemented (= expansion for no reason).

DAVID: God has His own reasons. Thank you for pointing out His actions.

dhw: I am explaining the two alternatives. Thank you for confirming that you haven’t got a clue why your God would expand the brain before there was any reason for him to do so. Your own hypothesis doesn’t make sense to you, so back you go to the same old mantra – that God’s reasoning must be different from ours. Why not allow for the possibility that our reasoning might not be different from your God’s, and consider hypothesis (1) which offers a clear reason?

I've simple said God uses evolution at his desired pace. My reasoning about God is from what I see in the history of evolution. At some point the brain had to be expanded to accommodate advances.

dhw: Since you believe the brain does not think up concepts, quite clearly the expansion of the brain was not necessary for thinking up new concepts!
DAVID: You continuously twist the ideas I present: the expansion of the brain was added cortical complexity for the s/s/c to use in developing the new ideas. Hardware and software.

dhw: You continuously try to twist your own analogy. According to you, the cortex does not do the thinking, because you are a dualist and you believe the soul/self/consciousness does the thinking. And so the s/s/c (software) uses the brain (computer) to IMPLEMENT its ideas, not to DEVELOP them.

You are deliberately misinterpreting my theory. The s/s/c uses the cortex to think. The s/s/c (software) both develops concepts and implementation by using the brain (computer). I've never presently differently. As you sit at your computer and create a play, you come up with the concept for a play and then you create the dialogue (implement) all using your s/s/c. How can you separate concept and implementation as you attempted above.

dhw: Your ‘pull’ theory has no basis in existing scientific fact, and it also contradicts itself, because it states that hominids/hominins could not have had their new concepts until the brain had enlarged, although according to you, thought is the product of the soul and not of the brain.
DAVID: No contradiction if you realize the brain is a material computer and the s/s/c is an immaterial operating software.

dhw: As above: the software (s/s/c) does the thinking, and so it makes absolutely no sense to say that the computer (brain) had to expand before the software (s/s/c) could think of its new ideas.

Makes perfect sense to me as I sit at my computer, coming up with answers to your statements (concepts) and typing responses (implementation).

DAVID: My antropocentric hypothesis explains everything which is why I propose it.
dhw: I shan't repeat the list of things it doesn't explain. I asked you what part of evolutionary history is not explained by my hypothesis. You still haven’t answered.
DAVID: You do have a theory that outlines how evolution appears from outside the process. It totally leaves out the obvious appearance of purpose from the standpoint of recognizing God's role.

dhw: No it doesn’t. If God exists, and his evolutionary method produced an ever-changing bush of life, it makes perfect sense to suggest that his purpose was to produce an ever-changing bush of life.

With a goalless endpoint and no apparent purpose has always been your approach, except create a spectacle for God's enjoyment. He appears to be much more serious than that from the evidence at hand. Evolution creating humans is why beyond an entertaining TV show!