New Miscellany 2: evolution, intelligence, eco etc. (General)

by David Turell , Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 20:08 (5 hours, 30 minutes ago) @ dhw

New oxygen research

dhw: When will you stop pretending that I am an atheist? I have no faith in chance, and I have no faith in a sourceless form of omnipotent, omniscient consciousness. One of these theories must be closer to the truth than the other, but each of them demands a degree of faith which I do not have. That is why I am an agnostic.

That God exists is a 50/50 statement for you, so at least 50% of your thinking is atheist.

Early life

DAVID: […] As an aside to dhw note: "In ecosystems today, life is so deeply entwined with itself that very few creatures live directly off Earth's raw materials. That has been the case for a very, very long time." When I have told you the ecosystems are exquisitely entwined this statement proves the point.(dhw's bolds)

dhw: The fact that ecosystems today are deeply entwined is not an issue between us. The issue which you continuously try to avoid is your claim that all ecosystems past and present were specifically designed for the sole purpose of producing and supporting us humans and our food, even though the vast majority of extinct ecosystems had no connection at all with us and our food.

DAVID: You want to lose the past, which is what developed todays ecosystems which support humans.

dhw: It is you who want to lose the past, because you have accepted the fact that 99.9% of past species and their ecosystems had no connection with us and our food. Hence your now bolded comment about the ecosystems of today.

Culling is successful evolution, but not in your distorted view.

dhw: See also your acknowledgement in Part 1 that we have no idea what species the future may produce; therefore it is absurd to claim that the process has ended with us and so we must have been your God’s only purpose for creating life.

DAVID: The future is unknown to us. I have specifically said evolution is over. The Earth has evolved to support us. So I see us as the purposeful endpoint.

dhw: Since the future is unknown to us, it is patently absurd to tell us that evolution is over!!! So much for your proof that we are the purposeful endpoint!

Do you see any speciation? Evolution is over.

Human evolution: in Indonesia area

QUOTES: Skull fragments and other fossil remains provide a unique picture….

the finds provide a unique image…

until now, fossils had never been found in this area.

"'This makes our discoveries truly unique," says Berghuis.

DAVID: more evidence of how Erectus migrated over Southern Asia.

dhw: Yet more new fossils. Until every inch of the Earth has been explored, there will always be new fossils to help fill in the history. Re the quotes: Every find can be called unique in one way or another, even if it’s only in a new location, but I like your comment, which puts it in perspective. I wish researchers wouldn’t constantly tell us how important their work is! Or am I being too cynical?

New fossils are filling recognized gaps.

Astrocytes new found role

DAVID: They were placed there for a reason and now that reason is now understood. From a design standpoint having systems for slower reactions makes perfect sense.

dhw: The experiments on fish, mice and fruit flies confirm that all cells in all types of brain will have a function. From a “design standpoint”, this will apply whether the design is carried out directly by your God, or by intelligent cell communities recognizing the need for certain types of reaction. The latter theory does not exclude your God as its designer.

True agnosticism.