More Dampening of Contingency
by MikeGeneA single unifying physics theory can essentially describe how animals of every ilk, from flying insects to fish, get around, researchers at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering and Pennsylvania State University have found. The team reports that all animals bear the same stamp of physics in their design.
[...]
The findings may have implications for understanding animal evolution, Marden said. One view of evolution holds that it is not a purely deterministic process; that history is full of chance and historical contingency. It is the idea purported by Steven Jay Gould and others that if you were to "rewind the tape" and run it again, evolution would proceed down a different path, Marden said.
"Our finding that animal locomotion adheres to constructal theory tells us that — even though you couldn't predict exactly what animals would look like if you started evolution over on earth, or it happened on another planet — with a given gravity and density of their tissues, the same basic patterns of their design would evolve again," Marden said.
January 1st, 2006 at 3:50 pm
MikeGene,
Would exploring the connections (if any) between the above linked article and the arguments made/ data presented in The Privileged Planet and other ID friendly pubs, be OK for this blog?
For example carbon-based life and the requirements/ factors required (TPP) and homology argument for ID as presented by P. Nelson & J. Wells in Darwinism, Design and Public Education and how they make "more sense" (or not) in light of what you blogged
Comment by Joe G — January 1, 2006 @ 3:50 pm
January 1st, 2006 at 4:27 pm
They ASSUME the features "evolved", rather than that a Designer, recognizing the "built-in" limitations and constraints of His (umm…or "his" or "its") Creation, chose to create His creatures with features (which reminds me - there used to be a horror show with various horror programs on locally in northern Indiana called "Creature Feature"…used to give me nightmares when I was a kid) which would fit those constraints.
Comment by Douglas — January 1, 2006 @ 4:27 pm
January 1st, 2006 at 6:57 pm
JoeG,
My interests are more along the lines of front-loading evolution. That is, more and more data make it increasingly plausible to design through evolution. However, right now, I'm just tossing out tidbits and will go into more detail sometime in the future.
In other words, I'm basically done here, so if you would like to explore the connections with the TPP, go for it.
Comment by MikeGene — January 1, 2006 @ 6:57 pm
January 2nd, 2006 at 10:10 am
Mike Gene:
My interests are more along the lines of front-loading evolution. That is, more and more data make it increasingly plausible to design through evolution.
After more thought the article made me realize that perhaps convergent evolution isn't so far fetched after all.
I also wonder what this does to Sean Carroll's "Endless forms Most Beautiful"…
But anyways, thanks Mike
Comment by Joe G — January 2, 2006 @ 10:10 am
January 2nd, 2006 at 3:33 pm
The connection with this article and The Privileged Planet is that it confirms what they predict- that is if we find complex life, not only will all the same factors be present (the same as here), but the observers on that planet will be similar to the observers on this one AND that the life would be carbon-based.
It also goes along with their rendition of the fine-tuning argument. And as I said earlier it makes convergent evolution much easier to facilitate, but it does put a damper on the "endless forms…" bit.
Comment by Joe G — January 2, 2006 @ 3:33 pm