Random thoughts

From: Moorad Alexanian (alexanian@uncwil.edu)
Date: Mon Oct 29 2001 - 14:58:20 EST

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    The following has been whirling in my brain for some time. I believe that
    the study and attempts of predicting our weather is a much simpler problem
    than the study and attempts of predictions one can make in evolutionary
    theory. It is well-known that the study of our weather leads to
    deterministic chaos, via the Lorenz equation and the so-called butterfly
    effect. Now, why doesn't the same occur in any theory that attempts to
    predict the outcome from natural selection and random mutations? In
    particular, why can't two totally different species, say a gnat and man, be
    the evolved outcome of a common entity in the past? In addition, why should
    two species that are close in DNA space now be considered to have evolved
    from the same entity in the past? I believe that such complex systems are
    chaotic and attempts of predictions are totally baseless. Also, working
    backwards in time is useless and arbitrary. Moorad



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