From: Josh Bembenek (jbembe@hotmail.com)
Date: Fri Aug 08 2003 - 10:06:31 EDT
Howard wrote:
What about the Fibonacci series? Would a biotic structure displaying this
numerical series be specified? Since the numerical series can be generated
in a way that is independent of any particular biotic system, perhaps it
would be considered to be detachable, and therefore a specification. But if
there is an explanation for how the development of some biotic system
produces a structure displaying this numerical sequence, ID advocates might
argue that the system is not complex. [Remember that complexity -- in ID
speak -- is related inversely to the probability that something could be
assembled by the joint effect of all (known and unknown) natural processes
(sometimes confusingly referred to as "chance."]
-I think it would be best to understand how these series are generated,
first. There may be a very simple explanation. For example, if we found
something following the pattern 1,2,4,8,16,32,64, etc. we don't necessarily
have a specification that requires a highly complex explanation. The
division of a cell can follow the above pattern very easily, and I've seen
Michael Ruse argue that the fibonacchi series is derived from some pattern
of cell division established during development. We're talking about an
emergent property of a system, in my opinion, that is not necessarily
encoded by any specific gene.
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