More miscellany Parts One & Two (Evolution)

by dhw, Thursday, September 19, 2024, 09:42 (13 hours, 29 minutes ago) @ David Turell

Theoretical origin of life

QUOTES: In the sciences, adaptive function refers to an organism’s capacity to biologically change, evolve or, put another way, solve problems.

dhw: {NOT dhw!!!) At some point in the Universe’s history, matter became purposeful. It became organised in a way that allowed it to adapt to its immediate environment.

DAVID: A totally nebulous statement as usual.

This was a quote from the article, and I agreed with you, as below:
dhw: The second quote shows that “problem solving” tells us absolutely nothing about the origin of life. The question is how matter became purposeful and intelligent enough, not only to solve problems but also to reproduce itself, become conscious of its environment, change its own structures etc.

DAVID: More of the same. Consciousness appeared in what way?

I have just asked the same question! I am criticizing the article!

DAVID: I view this as the anything but God/mind approach. Obviously a designing mind is necessary to explain life's origin. Note my bolds showing the need for information handling. Life builds a library of necessary information which it uses.

dhw: It’s not life that builds the library but living organisms, i.e. intelligent cell communities. If your uncaused God exists, he would have designed them. If he doesn’t exist, then we are back to uncaused energy and matter, which is no less nebulous than uncaused consciousness.

DAVID: I'll stay with designing mind is necessary.

That is the wish which is your starting point.

Earthworm DNA is weird

dhw: Common sense suggests to me that just as bacteria are able to edit their own DNA in response to new conditions, the worm did the same.

DAVID: Your sense is not common, or the experts would not be puzzled.

dhw: They suspect that this is the case, and I have no idea why you are so resolutely opposed to it.

DAVID: It is an extension of Shapiro's theory, which can happen factually only in bacteria.

dhw: It is not a “fact” that it can happen only in bacteria. That is your subjective wish and/or opinion.

DAVID: Tell me where else it happens, please.

The theory is that it happens whenever conditions require or allow changes to existing cellular structures. Just as it is your theory that your God wrote a book of instructions 3.8 billion years ago, or pops in to perform his operations or hold his courses every time conditions change.

DAVID: (under “plate tectonics”) There is no speciation happening now for us to study. Still all theory.

So stop moaning that Shapiro’s theory is only a theory, as is your own theory.

The brain: profound changes in pregnancy

QUOTES: "The mother “had snapshots of her brain taken before, during, and after pregnancy”

“As the pregnancy advanced, the researchers noticed a widespread shrinking of gray matter….”

DAVID: this process presents an interesting question. It is purposeful preparation for a future event, caring for a newborn. Chance evolution, as Darwin proposed can't possibly produce this result. Only a designing mind could.

dhw: We know that all kinds of experiences result in brain changes, so it’s hardly surprising that the arrival of a new body inside the mother’s body would do the same. But the changes are not preparation for a future event – they are responses to an on-going present event: see the first two quotes. If you must bring in your usual swipe at Darwin (though I agree that such processes are not by chance), then I will bring in my usual reference to Shapiro: here we have a prime example of cell communities responding intelligently to new conditions.

DAVID: The birth is an anticipated event. Neurons initially recognized a future event is coming. This study went all the way to after delivery when changes still occurred!

Changes also went on DURING the pregnancy, i.e. they responded to each development as the foetus developed. It makes no difference. The point is that the cell communities of the brain respond intelligently to new experiences.