Evolution: more genomic evidence of pre-planning (Evolution)

by dhw, Tuesday, February 16, 2021, 12:07 (1374 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: The point is preparatory changes in DNA.

dhw: The point is that sapiens has some genes that were not present in Neanderthal. Nobody says anything about “preparatory”. I’m trying to work out what the article is meant to prove. As far as our discussions are concerned, I have simply repeated and summarized the views already expressed on the whole subject.

DAVID: But it only took 61 new genes to do the job. The article just proves the difference at the genetic level. And we learned to use the better brain much later than its appearance with those genes.

The fact that it only took 61 genes to make our brains different from Neanderthal brains tells us nothing about how or why or when the brain changed, and it certainly does not mean that your God changed them in preparation for anything. I have suggested that stasis is common to ALL stages of brain change and only ends when there are new activities or requirements. And finally, there is no evidence provided by the modern brain that changes take place in preparation for new activities.

DAVID: My pre-programming thought always included the concept that early bacteria contained coding for further advances, as shown in current research in a new entry today.

dhw: What do you mean by “coding”? Why have you switched from “mechanism”?

DAVID: Why the question. DNA is coding and DNA changes ran/runs evolution.

We don’t know what ran/runs evolution! You say God preprogrammes or personally dabbles the changes to DNA, but I - and certain scientists who are far more knowledgeable about these matters than I am – have suggested that there is a mechanism within the cell/cell community, i.e. the equivalent of a brain (possibly God-given) which organizes the changes.

dhw: I agree with you that this mechanism may well have been designed by a designer, and I suggest that his plan may have been to allow life forms a free hand, resulting in the vast diversity of the life forms that make up life’s history.

DAVID: You stick to your theory and it favors God I think.

No it doesn’t. I have named three possible “first causes” and can believe in none of them. But if God exists, then I am offering you a theory concerning his possible motives and methods.