Re: Mathematics: art or science?

T.H. Ray wrote:

One has to be careful of what one is talking about
here. Evolution is a fact in evidence, observable
and observed. The explanation for evolution is
Darwin's
theory of common ancestry.

What we actually _observe_ is kind of common
"design".

No. we actually observe evolution in action; e.g.,
the mutation of bacteria and virii that keep the drug
companies in business.

Darwin's theory has been
much researched and refined in the last 150 years.

It has received so much criticism as well. Look, I
can understand that
science should not allow God into its theories. But
IF we are forced to
distort a theory, for the sole reason that kind of an
intelligence would
be needed to proceed, are we still doing honest
science then? (Mind the
"if" clause in the above)

One of the more striking models of evolution in
recent
history is the Gould-Eldredge model of Punctuated
Equilibrium. This is yet one more case where a
mathematically complete theory adds to our
knowledge in
large leaps (pun intended).

I vaguely remember some contributions from
statisticians. But don't know
how much they are worth. Personally, I don't trust
reasonings like "give
me another million years to make the improbable to
happen". Knowing what
a combinatorial explosion is and knowing that such
explosions can happen
within very simple configurations .. I mean, folding
a _protein_ is much
much much .. more complicated than this:

http://groups.google.nl/group/sci.math/msg/2ae54ca6c26
14027

Han de Bruijn


A model is not equivalent to a theory. However, one's
personal credulity or incredulity has nothing to do
with the science at all.

Tom
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Another transitional fossil found.
    ... action have seen evolution. ... Creationists seem to have no idea of what they are speaking of. ... science provides some theories to explain ... Of course you can observe a fact. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Co-optation Today
    ... You want science to be like math. ... For one thing, I don't reject evolution. ... No, in fact, causation is never directly observable, only correlation: ... We can observe fixation. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: EVOLUTION: A CULT
    ... >> definition of science that statements that cannot be checked by ... >> In other words it is impossible to observe evolution in action, ... > Since this is a lie (though it may be impossible for YOU to observe ... > lying and saying that it's science. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Thought For The Day
    ... written that indicates that you have any understanding of evolution. ... The science is neither here ... has had NO traction with scientists around the world. ... all the while rejecting processes we can TEST AND OBSERVE ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Evolution and Observation Gap
    ... science like Evolution by equating it with a hard science like physics. ... The events we observe in ASTROphysics ...
    (talk.origins)