Genome complexity: controlling DNA in the cell (Introduction)

by dhw, Tuesday, November 06, 2018, 08:33 (2211 days ago) @ David Turell

dhw: More repetition: yes, most of cellular activity is automatic. It ceases to be automatic when the cell/cell community is confronted with new problems. That is how scientists test for intelligence!

DAVID: Which can interpreted, just as well, by recognizing intelligent automatic instructions for all responses.

So (a) please stop focusing solely on the automatic activities, as if they proved that there is no intelligence in the problem-solving activities, and (b) please recognize that what you have just written acknowledges that the solving of problems can “just as well” be interpreted as evidence that cells/cell communities are autonomously intelligent.

DAVID’s comment: Translation of this paper: we can see what the molecules do, but we do not know how the molecules are controlled. Molecules cannot act on their own, but are driven by reactions that are intelligently purposeful. The complexity requires design.

dhw: Thank you for summarizing the message so concisely. Yes, the complexity requires design. But the question remains: what is the mechanism that controls the actions of the molecules? If actions/reactions are intelligently purposeful, you are faced with a stark choice. Either every single one was preprogrammed 3.8 billion years ago, or your God personally intervenes when there is a new problem, or (theistic version of my hypothesis) he endowed cells with a mechanism that would enable them to deal AUTONOMOUSLY with problems as they arose.

DAVID: Interpretation of the comment: 'New problems' imply new circumstances for living organisms which require modification by new designs which can only be created by a designing mind. God could certainly have provided organisms with an inventive mechanism with guidelines for future species in evolution.

Your “interpretation” is correct, except that my hypothesis does not include “can only be created by a designing mind” if by that you mean your God. And my hypothesis leaves out your nebulous “with guidelines”, which takes away the all-important autonomy which I suggest has led to the vast variety of life forms. In other words, your God could certainly have provided organisms with an autonomous inventive mechanism for future species in evolution.