Re: Evolution is alive and well
Moorad Alexanian (alexanian@UNCWIL.EDU)
Wed, 07 Oct 1998 14:55:55 -0500 (EST)
At 12:37 PM 10/7/98 -0600, Terry M. Gray wrote:
>Moorad Alexanian wrote:
>
>>I fail to see how evolutionary theory is a la par with basic physics. That
>>sort of comparison pretends a scientific respectability for evolutionary
>>theory which it clearly does not possess.
>
>
>Here's the comparison that Bill and the Science writers were trying to make:
>
>Weather is to basic physics what evolution is to basic biology.
>
>Fair enough?
>
>Trememdous strides in understanding phenomena at the basic levels don't
>give the answers to complex phenomena.
>
>Terry M. Gray
Fair enough! Any condensed matter physicist would agree with that. Knowing
the inter particle interactions does not make it obvious, for instance, that
the stable state of matter for given temperature and pressure is the solid
state. Also, finding a theory of liquids is difficult even if one knows the
inter particle potential. Collective effects may arise which are not
obviously included in the inter particle potential.
Moorad