Re: Increasing Complexity

SZYGMUNT@EXODUS.VALPO.EDU
Wed, 02 Sep 1998 10:13:31 -0500 (CDT)

Brian Harper wrote:
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McShea also (rightly IMHO) distinguishes between organization
and complexity. Something can be complex without being organized
(junk heap) and organized without being complex (mouse trap).
Basically, complexity is a structural property independent of
function whereas organization involves the structuring of a
system towards some function. Well, needless to say, biological
systems are typically both complex and organized.

Brian Harper
Applied Mechanics
Ohio State University
214 Boyd Lab
155 W. Woodruff Ave
Columbus, OH 43210
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Brian, you have made this point quite a few times, and have
pointed out that the colloquial use of "complex" is quite
different from the technical use of the term in information
theory. This is unfortunate but important to keep in mind, of course.
I never really thought about it before, and I have
not read Mike Behe's book (Darwin's Black Box), but when
Behe describes his concept of "irreducible complexity"
is he using "complexity" in the colloquial or the technical
sense? If it is the colloquial sense, this probably muddies
the waters more than it clears them. Can you answer this?

Thanks for your careful and clear posts!

Stan Zygmunt
Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, IN 46383