From: Spudboy100@aol.com
Date: Sat Apr 27 2002 - 14:06:39 MDT
>On Sat, 27 Apr 2002, Dani Eder wrote:
> Intelligence defined as tool use and language
> eveloved in our case in a few million years from
> our primate ancestors, which is evidence that the
> step isn't very hard from an evolution standpoint.
Eugene comented:
%Anthropic principle renders this inference null and void.
%Assuming, for the sake of argument, it was true. It took about 4 billion
%years to arrive at the primate stage. It requires a rather sheltered
%environment for the first few gigayears, and extremely sheltered
%environment for the last one, because higher life is very vulnerable to
%minor variations in the environmental conditions.
Anthropic doesn't apply as a disqualifier! This is akin to saying their is
only one good way to program a computer. If the insect-swarm minds of Proteus
2, in the gamma-hydra system develop a co-mingled consciousness some 120
million years ago, that is THEIR path. The Anthropic Principle demands a
self-aware observor, not a human, pre-human, non-human primate. If a primate
fits the bill-so be it. If its a conscious insect swarm-bingo!
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