Chance and necessity do not explain the origin of life
Uncommon Descent has a nice commentary on the recent paper on this subject in Cell Biology International (2004), discussing some foundational definitions in the Intelligent Design debate (Explanatory Filter, Proof by Contradiction, Displacement Theorem), and does a good job of discussing the unlikelihood of evolution by chance, or chance + necessity, while answering the questions below:
- How can we be sure we won’t make some discovery in the future that will invalidate the design inference?
- How can we be sure we’ve eliminated all possible naturalistic causes, particularly since we have so few details of what happened so long ago when no one was around?
Please provide proof for the existence of your "God."
Posted by: Louis | 06 July 2006 at 01:35 AM
No such proof can be produced. But this post has naught to do with God, and all to do with the statistical challenge to evolution, and the arguments around design.
Posted by: seeker | 06 July 2006 at 12:56 PM
Intelligent Design (ie, creationism) depends on the existence of God (unless you include aliens). Without God, how can you defend creationism. Therefore, you must prove his existence to prove your theory. As you say, no such proof is possible. Why, then, should we waste any time at all on ID? It can't be proven, and, it cannot be disproven. It's not science at all, but faith (ie, belief without evidence). Since you can provide no evidence, your theory may be dismissed without evidence.
Posted by: Louis | 06 July 2006 at 01:18 PM
New Intelligent Design Slogan
Coincidence? I think not!
Posted by: Cineaste | 06 July 2006 at 02:30 PM