Re: WHY DOES THE UNIVERSE WORK

From: DNAunion@aol.com
Date: Sat Oct 21 2000 - 03:03:04 EDT

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    >>FMAJ: Cool but a non sequitor. We do not have evidence of inteligent design
    as it applies to biology.

    [...]

    >>FMAJ: So there is evidence that we can intervene in biology in an
    intelligent
    manner. But my question was "do we have any evidence of ID in biological
    systems"? Of course not. There is no evidence of design in biological
    systems.

    DNAunion: You are still wrong. Let me refresh your memory.

    >>Nucacids: Ever hear of Dolly? Ever hear of a transgenic mouse? Or a rabbit
    that glows green when placed under a black light?

    DNAunion: These are examples of design in biological systems.

    You have tried twice in this thread to make some statement about design and
    biology but have not made one that reflects reality yet. Saying that there
    is no "evidence of inteligent design as it applies to biology", and your
    revised, but not corrected, version, "There is no evidence of design in
    biological systems", are both wrong. Care to try again (they say the third
    time is the charm).

    >>FMAJ: That we have evidence of design in systems we know were designed is
    not evidence of design in existing biological systems.
     
    >>DNAunion: Sure it is - it is called indirect evidence. That you don't like
    it does not mean it is not evidence. It shows that intelligent agents can
    manipulate biological entities.

    >>FMAJ: What indirect evidence?

    DNAunion: Perhaps you could have resisted your temptation to jump in until
    after you read my next several sentences.

    >>DNAunion: We have empirical evidence that intelligent agents can create
    novel proteins and genomes, and in fact, can create molecules found in all
    life that nature itself cannot produce (such as RNA, which is not a
    prebiotically plausible molecule). This is indirect evidence that supports
    the idea that intelligent.

    DNAunion: See, there was the indirect evidence you seemed to have completely
    missed.

    >>FMAJ: Where is the evidence that nature cannot produce these molecules?

    DNAunion: Enantiomeric cross-inhibition (prevents long polynucleotides from
    forming), short "lifetime" of nucleobases, different conditions needed for
    the production of the sugars and the bases, the improbability of linking two
    nucleotides correctly (roughly 1 in 1000 - not fatal, but still adds to the
    overal improbability), no satisfactory prebiotic pathways known to
    biologically-relevant ribose, and others. In fact, all attempts at
    synthesizing RNA under prebiotically-plausible conditions have failed. So we
    not only have absence of success, but we also have some reasons to doubt that
    we will ever achieve success.

    >>DNAunion: [my words snipped by FMAJ] ... intervention could have been
    involved in the appearance of life on Earth - and in fact, with the
    generally-accepted existence of ETI's, becomes more parsimonious than a
    purely-natural origin of life here on Earth.

    >>FMAJ: Generally accepted existence of ETI's? Wow...

    DNAunion: Amazing, isn't it.

    >>FMAJ: I like you ad hom though. Keep up the good work
     
    >>DNAunion: Sure, I will be glad to continue to point out your tactics and
    shortcomings - no need to ask.

    >>FMAJ: Can't wait dear.

    DNAunion: Quick note. This was one of FMAJ's many references to me as
    "Dear" *after* I told him I found his doing so offensive: which he took as a
    cue to *INCREASE* his use of the term. Nothing like trying one's best to
    offend and/or irritate the opponent (but since FMAJ is not an IDist, his
    offenses are allowed by the majority here).



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