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Can Darwin’s theoryexplain the complexity of
nature?
DarwinismDarwinism
Gradual change over millions of years
+ survival of the fittest
Changes from primitive to complex
”If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed bynumerous, successive, slight modifications, my theorywould absolutely break down”
Charles DarwinThe Origin of Species, 1872
-- the the onlyonly explanationexplanation
- a fact (as the law of gravity)(as the law of gravity)
-- Darwin Darwin –– the biology’s the biology’s NewtonNewton
- confirmed through 150 years of researchthrough 150 years of research
- The critics areunscientificunscientificignorantignorantfanaticsfanatics
””TheThe wayway ofof thethe CellCell””
”…there are presently no detailed Darwinianaccounts of the evolution of any biochemicalsystems, only a variety of wishful speculations”
(Franklin Harold, 2001)Colorado State University biochemist
”I believe that one day the darwinian mythwill be ranked
the greatest deceit in the history of science”
Prof. Søren Løvtrup”Darwinism: The Refutation of a myth”, 1987
ComplexityComplexity from from simplicitysimplicity
”The one thing that makes evolution such a neat theory is that it explains how organizedcomplexity can arise out of primevalsimplicity”
Richard Dawkins”The Blind Watchmaker”
SpecifiedSpecified complexitycomplexity
Science do only know one generator ofspecified complexity – intelligence
ChanceChance, , necessitynecessity and designand design
Chance
Necessity
Design
In In ordinaryordinary lifelife wewedistinguishdistinguish betweenbetween
threethree modes modes ofof explanationsexplanations
2+2=4roulette
ComplexityComplexity ofof naturenature”The entire cell can be viewed as a factory that
contains an elaborate network of interlockingassembly lines, each of which is composed of largeprotein machines….
…… like the machines invented by humans to dealefficiently with the macroscopic world, these protein assemblages contain highly coordinated movingparts”
Bruce Albertspresident of the National Academy of Sciences
"In brief, living organisms are distinguished by their specified complexity.
Crystals are usually taken as the prototypes of simple well-specified structures, because they consist of a very large number of identical molecules packed together in a uniform way.
…..random mixtures of polymers are examples of structures that are complex, but not specified.
The crystals fail to qualify as living because they lack complexity; the mixtures of polymers fail to qualify because they lack specificity."
Leslie Orgel
SpecifiedSpecified complexitycomplexity
OnlyOnly appearantappearant complexitycomplexity
”Biology is the study of complicatedthings that give the appearance ofhaving been designed for a purpose”
Richard Dawkins”The Blind Watchmaker”
GeneratingGenerating complexitycomplexityby by chancechance and and necessitynecessity
Richard Dawkin’s example of how evolutionaryalgorithm can generate complexity (”The Blind Watchmaker”).
He starts out with the target sentence:
METHINKS IT IS LIKE A WEASEL
Generating complexityGenerating complexity
1) Start out with a randomly selected sequence of 28 capital roman letters and spaces
WDL MNLT DTJBKWIRZREZMLQCO P
2) Randomly alter all the letters and spaces that do not agree with the target sentence
3) Whenever an alteration happens to match a corresponding letter in the target sentence, leave it and randomly alter thoseremaining
GeneratingGenerating complexitycomplexity1) WDL MNLT DTJBKWIRZREZMLQCO P2) WDLMNLT DTJBKWIRZREZMLQCO P
10) MDLDMNLS ITJISWHRZREZ MECS P
20) MELDINLS IT DISWPRKE Z WECSEL
30) METHINGS IT ISWLIKE B WECSEL
40) METHINKS IT IS LIKE I WEASEL
43) METHINKS IT IS LIKE A WEASEL
What is achieved?What is achieved?
However:
Teleological (the target is defined)The process is always going to converge (probability 1)Complexity diminisher (for something to be complex, there must be many possibilities that could take its place)Not a blind searchThe evolutionary algorithm is incapable of generating specified complexity. Specified complexity is just borrowed from the target sentence. Nothing is generated!
Illustration of the power of Illustration of the power of evolutionary algorithm to generate specified complexity?evolutionary algorithm to generate specified complexity?
PreliminaryPreliminary conclusionconclusion
Any output of specified complexity requires a prior input of specified complexity.
All the specified complexity we get out of an evolutionary algorithm has first to be put into its construction and into the information that guides the algorithm.
Darwinian evolution cannot generate specified complexity.
”…first of all that many innovations cannot possibly come into existence through accumulation of many small steps,
and even if they can, natural selection cannot accomplish it, because incipient and intermediate stages are not advantageous”
Prof. Søren LøvtrupDarwinism: the refutation of a myth, 1987
”What do you think we are evolving into?”
How do we distinguish between design and chance?
SpecifiedSpecified complexitycomplexity
Probabilistic complexity
Conditionally independent pattern
Probabilistic resources
Specificational complexity
Universal probability bound
W. Dembski, 1998
ProbabilisticProbabilistic complexitycomplexityProbability can be viewed as a form ofcomplexity
The greater the complexity,the smaller the probability
A combination lock
1) Numbers 1 to 39 in 3 alternating directions –probability 1/64 000
2) Numbers 1 to 100 in 5 alternating directions –probability 1/1010
The complexity in ”specified complexity” refers to improbability
ConditionallyConditionally independent independent patternpattern
The patterns must be independent of the events. The patterns not artificially imposed afterthe fact.
KMKKKMMKMMKKKKKMKMKKMMMKKMKMMMKMMMKKKKKKKMMKKKMKKKKMKKKMKMKMMKKMMMMKKKMKKMMKMKMKMMMMMKKMMKMMMMKMMMM
Probability: 1/1030
0100011011000001010011100101110111000000010010001101000101011001111000100110101011110011011110111100
01
00011011
000001011100101110111
0000000100100011010001010110011110001001101010111100110111101111
00
The specfied in ”specified complexity” refersto such conditionally independent patterns
Binary numbersin ascendingorder.
Not a trulyrandom event
ProbabilisticProbabilistic resourcesresources
Replicational and specificational
Specificational resources refer to the number of opportunitiesto specify an event
Replicational resources refer to the number of opportunities for an event to occur
N targets on a wall (specificational resources)M arrows (replicational resources)
Probabilistic resources – product MN
SpecificationalSpecificational complexitycomplexity
KKKKKKKKKK
Design or chance ?
Both sequences have the same probability – 1/1000. The patternof the first is much simpler. Minimum description length.
KKMKMMMKMK
Universal Universal probabilityprobability boundbound
1080 elementary particlesTransition from one physical state to another
not faster than 1045 times per secondThe universe is younger than 1025 seconds
The total number of specified eventsin the cosmic history cannot exceed1080 x 1045 x 1025 = 10150
SpecifiedSpecified complexitycomplexity
Matches conditionally
independent pattern
Low specificational complexity
Below universal probability
bound
High probabilistic complexity
Not by Not by chancechance
The French mathematician Emile Borel proposed1 in 1050 as a universal probability boundbelow which chance could definitely be precluded (never attributed to chance)
Design Design criterioncriterion((specifiedspecified complexitycomplexity))
Forensic scienceArtificial intelligenceCryptographyArcheologySearch for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI)
Research program – monitor millions of radio signals from outer space. Many natural objects in space produce radio signals. Looking for signs of design among all natural, researchers run the signals through computers programmed with pattern-matchers.
SETI(Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)
SETI signalSETI signal110111011111011111110111111111110111111111111101111111111111111110111111111111111111101111111111111111111111011111111111111111111111111111101111111111111111111111111111111110111111111111111111111111111111111110111111111111111111111111111111111111111111011111111111111111111111111111111111111111111011111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111110111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111110111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111101111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111011111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111101111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111110111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111110111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111101111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111110111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111101111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
Signal in the movieContact (based on a novel by Carl Sagan).
It is a sequence of1126 beats and pauses, re-presenting theprime numbers from 2 to 101.
The SETI researchersin Contact took it as decesive confirmationof an extra-terrestrialIntelligence.
DesignDesign
Is it contingent?Is it complex?Is it specified?
Start
Contingency?
Complexity?
Specification?
Design
yes
yes
yes
Necessity
Chance
Chance
no
no
no
Explanatory filter
DesignDesign Start
Contingency?
Complexity?
Specification?
Design
yes
yes
yes
Necessity
Chance
Chance
no
no
no
Code: 34-98-25-09-71
10 billion possibilities
1) No law of nature turn to theright combination. Contingent
2) Random twirling of the lock’sdial will not help. Complex
3) It is constructed to be specified. 4) One combination opens the lock.
It is specified complexity
If it is opened, then someone knewand chose to dial the correct combination
DarwinianDarwinian mechanismmechanism-- chancechance and and necessitynecessity
”Random mutations plus natural selectionare one surefire way to generate
biological information”
Paul Davis (1999)”The Fifth miracle”
SpecifiedSpecified ComplexityComplexity as as InformationInformation
What sort of information?
– Pure statistical sort of information?– Just flip a coin 100 times, and you will get incredible improbable
sequence
– Specified complex information?– No biologists question whether the functional systems are specified.
SpecifiedSpecified or or unspecifiedunspecified
Random typing:
pitrlkhgferfotmnvcdeseiopcqkjgewa(unspecified complex information)
the(non-complex specified information)
Random typing cannot produce a meaningful text- information that is both complex and specified.
StochasticStochastic processprocess
Stochastic processes provide the most general mathematical means for modelling the joint action of chance and necessity
Since chance and necessity, and their combination characterize natural causes, it follows that naturalcauses are incapable of generating ComplexSpecified Information.
A stochastic process is one whose behavior is non-deterministic in that the next state of the environment is not fully determined by the previous state of the environment.
StochasticStochastic modelsmodels
tsunami
Remove any one of these five components, and the mousetrapwill not function
A mousetrap cannot function unless all components are in place.
A mousetrap must have
platformhold-downbar
spring hammercatch
Michael Michael BeheBehe
Is he a fraud? crank? knave?
His work, we are told, has been ”thoroughly discredited”, ”completely demolished” and ”utterly destroyed”
Biologists reassure each other that Behe has been refuted
Nobody has provided an actual refutation of Behe
They attack a caricature of Behe
Author of ”Darwin’s Black Box”
IrreducibleIrreducible complexitycomplexity
Behe has focused attention on a major conceptualproblem in evolutionary biology
Some structures are provably inaccessible for a direct Darwinian pathway because they have irreducible complexity
Irreducible complex systems require numerous componentsspecifically adapted to each other and each necessaryfor function.
On any formal complexity-theoretical analysis they are complexin the sense required by the complexity-specification criterion.
Specified complexity and irreducible complexitythe connection
The structure consists of at least 20 proteins, and additional30 are used to the construction, function and maintanence.
””TheThe most most efficientefficient machinemachine in in thethe universeuniverse””
The flagellum is an acid-powered rotary motor with a whip-like tail for navigationin watery environment(on E. coli bacterium).
On a darwinian view, a bacterium with a flagellum evolved via the selection mechanism from a bacterium without flagellum.
For this mechanism to produce the flagellum, chancemodifications have to generate the various proteins, thenpreserve them, gather them to the right location in thebacterium, and then properly assemble them.
How? Selection can only build on partial function, and gradually improve it.
1. lys-sensitive celler2. ansamlinger av lys-sensitive celler uten nerveendinger3. en optisk nerve omgitt av pigmenterte celler og dekket av et
gjennomskinnbart lag4. pigmentceller i en grop av økende dyphet5. lyset slipper til slutt kun inn i et lite hull6. en linse dannes over hullet hvor lyset slipper inn7. denne linsen modifiseres med en iris, muskelfester og annet
som gjør organismen i stand til å danne mer komplisertebilder og fokusere bedre
Evolusjon av synet ?
Kipling: ”The Elephant’s Child”
”wishfulspeculations”
When light enters the eye, it first passes through the cornea, then the aqueous humor, lens and vitreous humor. Ultimately it reaches the retina, which is the light-sensing structure of the eye. The retina contains two types of cells, called rods and cones. Rods handle vision in low light, and cones handle color vision and detail. When light contacts these two types of cells, a series of complex chemical reactions occurs.
A photon of light causes a change in the shape of the molecule 11-cis-retinal, which in a picosecond changes to trans-retinal.
(picosecond = time required for the light to travel the breadth of a single human hair)
This forces a change of the shape of the protein rhodopsin.
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