One very important quote from the article I remember seeing as dubious:
"For an irreducibly complex system, function is attained only when all
components of the system are in place simultaneously. It follows that
natural selection, if it is going to produce an irreducibly complex system,
has to produce it all at once or not at all."
So far as I can tell, it does NOT simply follow, not at all. As I and
others have said earlier, it seems, prima facie anyway, that the SHORTEST
step-wise path to an IC system is prohibited by its IC nature, but not
OTHER, LONGER step-wise paths (e.g., instead of purely building up to the IC
system, building up to -another-, non-IC system, and then building down or
laterally to the IC system itself).
Once again, I haven't had time to do anything but skim this article :^<, but
this seems like a rather significant error. No?
--John
> -----Original Message-----
> From: evolution-owner@udomo2.calvin.edu
> [mailto:evolution-owner@udomo2.calvin.edu]On Behalf Of John E. Rylander
> Sent: Saturday, November 07, 1998 7:33 PM
> To: Calvin Evolution Reflector
> Subject: Dembski's First Things article is online
>
>
> Sorry if someone's already mentioned this, but William Dembski's
> article in
> the October First Things is online now:
>
> http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft9810/dembski.html
>
> I've read it quickly, but with a big software workload right now,
> I haven't
> been able to give it (or much else philosophical of late) the attention it
> deserves. :^< Looks interesting, at the least.
>
> While on the subject of IID theorists :^>, I'd like to thank Paul
> Nelson for
> popping in from time to time again. (Your level of discussion and defense
> of ID is a relief, Paul, from earlier, incorrigibly oblivious defenders.
> [The King voice:] Thank you -- thank you very much.)
>
> --John
>
>
>