> It might be better to say that X's being irreducibly complex implies that X requires a more circuitous, and hence less likely, evolutionary pathway.>
My understanding is that the trend of the entire universe is in the
opposite direction from evolution. That does not help me join with your
sentiments in spite of my wish to be affable.
> E.g., Dawkins uses the non-biological example of an arch. It's undeniably irreducibly complex -- pull out any stone and the whole thing collapses. And yet it's -possible- for one to "evolve" from a pile of stones if one is lucky, if the right stones get washed away in a stream, e.g. This comes not by building up to an arch, but by "building down" from a pile of stones.>
A living cell is more complex than any arch or any suspension bridge or
anything else ever built. No one uses or has ever used Dawkins'
fantasies, like "building down." If anyone did, I would speculate that
starting from the beginning of time to the end of time they would still
be sitting by their pile of randomly placed rocks with no sign of any
design of any kind. More disorder, yes. An arch or a bridge will
crumble. More order, never. The trend of the entire universe is in the
opposite direction.
> And I certainly agree that the origin of the cell and abiogensis are
> enormous and utterly unsolved challenges for evolutionary theory.>
"Spontaneous generation, in biology, is the theory, now disproved, that
living organisms sometimes arise from nonliving matter. It is sometimes
referred to as abiogenesis, as opposed to biogenesis, the now
established fact living organisms arise only from the reproduction of
previously existing organisms." Encylopaedia Britannica's entry under
Spontaneous Generation. This summarizes the experience of billions of
people many billions of times now and throughout history. Abiogenesis
is a myth more than 2,000 years old, continued as a myth and, in my
opinion, will always be a myth. For these reasons, I view it as the
antithesis of science and cannot subscribe.
I hope I have not said anything to offend you, John.
Joseph Mastropaolo