Re: ID and Utility (DEFINING UTILITY)

Joel Cannon (rusbult@vms2.macc.wisc.edu)
Mon, 29 Sep 1997 17:00:41 -0400 (EDT)

Eduardo says,
>As an engineer I have applied "reverse engineering" and "inverse analysis" many
>times. Some of the technique implicitly assumed that there is a design (or
>code)
>that must be discovered. ...<snip.... So, assuming that
>nature has been designed by an intelligent agent could be, in my humble
>opinion,
>very benefitial for scientific pursuit as in the sciences of reverse
>engineering
>and inverse analysis.

Another area might be in determining the limits of what can occur.
For example, the Second Law of Thermo forbids (statistically) the
existence of "perpetual motion machines." I assume that someone has
already explored the parallels between PP-machines and Prebiotic Evolution,
to see the ways in which accepted principles (for energy, information,...)
are useful in providing both a "negative heuristic" and a "positive
heuristic" for research programs. Yes?
{disclaimer: here I am thinking about responsible applications of
thermo, such as those done by Bradley or Dembski, not the embarassing
"Second Law and macro-E" pseudo-thermo of Henry Morris}

If thermo says "perpetual motion machines" aren't possible, do we bemoan
the difficulties this will cause for the "PP-machine research programs" or
do we just say "how interesting it is, that the universe is this way" ?

Craig R