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Neo-Darwinian Evolution Really Can't Work!

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Neo-Darwinian Evolution Really Can't Work! Neo-Darwinian Evolution Really Can't Work! Home | Intro | About | Feedback | Prev | Next | Search Was Darwin Wrong? "Neo-Darwinian Evolution Really Can't Work!" Letter to Gert Korthof Continue with my reply to Spetner's From Lee M. Spetner letter of 24 Jan 2001 Neo-Darwinism: Could it work? | Nonrandom variation | Can random variation build information? | Is Spetner a Creationist? LETTER OF DR SPETNER MY REPLY Spetner 31 Aug 2000 7 Oct 2000 24 Jan 2001 Dear Gert, Dear Gert, Dear Lee, I read your detailed review of my book Not You formatted your reply to me very well - By Chance! I commend you on the effort Thank You! I am very honoured to be putting your comments side by side with you put into it and the knowledge you compared favourably to Richard Dawkins! mine in two columns. I don't think I can exhibited. I think you are a better defender And I keep trying to improve my prose. extend that to 3 columns to include my of evolution than Richard Dawkins. His But most off all I appreciate it very much second response to you, so I have adopted prose may be better than yours (of course, that you took the trouble to write such a the format below to show the entire English is his native tongue), but your detailed reply. I posted it without hesitation dialogue from the beginning, starting with substance is superior. I do, however, think on my site, because it is not hostile at all, my original response. I trust you would see your review deserves a critical answer. Let despite the fact that you and I entertain fit to post this on your website to replace me offer you my detailed critique of the fairly opposite opinions. the dialogue you now have. I'm sure you review, point by point. will be able to choose a suitable format. I'll tell you why I'm using Evolution A and B instead of macro & micro evolution. I'm using Evolution A precisely because I want Before I enter into the critique itself, let me to distinguish it from macroevolution. I am establish an important and necessary using it precisely to avoid the confusion guideline. The word evolution is generally demonstrated in some of your remarks used in at least two different senses, and below. Thus, your equations, above, do not the distinction is important in discussing I don't understand why you use Evolution represent what I intended in the meaning of your review, and in almost any discussion A, Evolution B, because in your book Evolution A. By Evolution A, I mean what of evolution. One meaning of evolution is starting on page 67 you use the well- I had earlier called "the grand sweep of the descent of all life from a putative single known concepts 'micro-' and 'macro'- evolution," the evolution of all life from primitive source. I shall denote the word evolution. For this discussion: some simple beginning. It is the same as used in this sense as Evolution A. On the common descent, but somehow the term other hand, the word is also used to denote Evolution A = macro evolution = common descent doesn't capture the drama any kind of change of a population. The Common Descent of the grand sweep of evolution. Maybe change can sometimes occur in response to Evolution B = micro evolution = changes Evolution A is too insipid a term, but I environmental pressure (natural selection), in populations wanted something shorter than "the grand and sometimes it can just be random sweep of evolution." I thought I would (genetic drift). I shall denote the word used gain some clarity with this terminology. in this sense as Evolution B. Evolution B Apparently, with you I only achieved has been observed. Evolution A is an confusion. Sorry about that. I'll try to do inference; it is not an observable. http://home.planet.nl/~gkorthof/kortho36a.htm (1 of 17)5-7-05 11:53:54 Neo-Darwinian Evolution Really Can't Work! better if I ever treat this subject again. But for this discussion, let me continue to use it and beg your indulgence. About inferred - observed: You miss the point here, Gert, and The existence of your brain is inferred, not therefore your comparisons are not useful. observed, because nobody including We know brains exist; we have seen and yourself has actually observed your brain. handled them. Even though I did not Further you did not observe your own observe my birth, there are others who birth, you can only infer your birth. have and can testify to it. Evolution A, on Furthermore your conception isn't the other hand, is a phenomenon that may observed by anybody: it is just inferred or may not have occurred. You assume it based on naturalistic theories! So there is has; I am agnostic on the matter. Whether no imperative to account for it. or not it has occurred is, in fact, a key point of divergence between evolutionists and creationists. There is no imperative to have a theory to explain Evolution A, because it was not observed and we don't even know that there is such a thing. If we had a theory that could account for Evolution A, there would be reason to give that concept some serious consideration. But there is no such theory. I have seen the argument stated often, that even if there are defects with neo-Darwinian theory, it's the best theory we have to explain the evolution of all life from a single simple ancestor. That's not a very compelling argument to one who questions Evolution A. The distinction between these two (1) The distinction is vague: you only (1) The distinction is not vague precisely meanings of evolution is often ignored by mention the extremes of the scale. But the because I am dealing with the extremes, those defending neo-Darwinian evolution, extremes are no problem. The question is: which you acknowledge is no problem. but the distinction is critical. The claim is where does micro stop, where does macro You are taking the discussion off track. We made for Evolution A, but proof is often start? How many species are allowed to be are not writing a treatise on macro- and limited to Evolution B. The implication is produced by microevolution? Are dog, micro- evolution. My objective here was to that the observation of Evolution B is a wolf, coyote, fox the result of point out that because of the great substantiation of Evolution A. But this is microevolution? Are all birds the result of difference between Evolution A and not so. Since Evolution A is not microevolution? Or are all the birds of, Evolution B, one cannot justifiably use the observable, it can be substantiated only by say, Australia the result of microevolution? observation of the latter to confirm the circumstantial evidence. And former. Where micro starts and macro circumstantial evidence must be (2) You forget to make that important begins is not the issue here. It is irrelevant accompanied by a theory of how it relates distinction yourself where it matters: to the point I am making. Will you please to what is to be proved. Neo-Darwinian "NREH can account for try a little harder to tune in to what I am theory (NDT) is generally accepted to be observations of evolution saying. that theory. The thesis of my book is that better than can the NDT cannot account for Evolution A. I NDT" (p210). If the distinction is so (2) Your comments here on my NREH are shall do my best to untangle the thread of important to you, why don't you use micro, inappropriate. I think they result from your confusion in these two meanings of macro? It is relevant for you because equating my Evolution A with evolution as I proceed through this analysis "nonrandom variation could macroevolution, which reflects a of your review. The important claim of neo- produce some large-scale misunderstanding of what I wrote, as I Darwinism is that it can account for evolution" (209). Is 'Large-scale' the noted above. Let me make something clear. Evolution A. This claim is what the public same as 'Macro'? Why didn't you write so? I say that NDT cannot account for perceives as the core of the controversy By the way: does it mean that NREH Evolution A, which is the grand sweep of over evolution. This claim is the source of accounts for micro and macro? But you did evolution from the putative primitive the contention that life is the result of not have to account for macro-evolution? organism (cell?) to all the life of today. I purely natural processes, which ensue from You must substantiate your distinction did not say that NDT could not account for well-known natural laws, a claim which I micro/macro. You need to be more precise some examples of macroevolution. I don't reject as never having been substantiated. in your claim about what supposedly is know of any examples for which it could This unsubstantiated claim is quite an accounted for and what not by neo- account, but there may well be some, given important one, since it is frequently offered Darwinism. the arbitrariness of the definitions of as a basis for a philosophy of life. In what species and of macroevolution. But it follows, I shall note where these two cannot account for Evolution A, and here is meanings of evolution are confounded. In a (3) Important: we observe micro- and macro differences in living organisms: where the distinction between Evolutions http://home.planet.nl/~gkorthof/kortho36a.htm (2 of 17)5-7-05 11:53:54 Neo-Darwinian Evolution Really Can't Work! discussion of whether NDT can account for subspecies, species, genera, families, etc.
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