From: rick strongitharm (xllb@home.com)
Date: Sun Feb 06 2000 - 13:22:40 MST
Evan Brown wrote:
>Interesting to note how a few scientific theories are serving to explain
>some of the fundamental issues of existence in ways their mystical
>proponents could never have dreamed of. Quantum evolution over intelligent
>design, SI-controlled simulations over deity, the aforementioned sampling
>over ESP. It will be quite the strange situation if science begins
>explaining, scientifically, many of the concepts it currently discards.
>From my unscientific perspective, it was a fun read, but didn't help me get
any closer to "the beginning". In fact it just added more variables to the
puzzle, and made the Omniverse (I thought I'd created a new word, but
gawl-diddly-darn it, those wicked psychics are using it) a whole lot
bigger. <p>
Rick Strongitharm
----- Original Message -----
From: "Evan Brown" <rebrown@ucsd.edu>
To: <extropians@extropy.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 06, 2000 12:05 AM
Subject: Re: Evolution goes quantum
> > < Mutations have always been assumed to be
> > random. But mutations are caused by the
> > motion of fundamental particles, electrons and
> > protons -- particles that can enter the quantum
> > multiverse -- within the double helix. If these
> > particles can enter quantum states. then DNA
> > may be able to slip into the quantum multiverse
> > and sample multiple mutations simultaneously. >
> >
> > Despite the apparently comic author name (Johnjoe McFadden indeed!),
he's
> > for real, and British not from some place where they eat raw chickens'
> heads.
> >
> > I kinda like this idea, which sounds straight out of David Deutsch (and
> > drives the plot of Greg Egan's recent TERANESIA, by the way). It just
> about
> > fits with the information optimisation models of lab parapsychology that
> > appeal to me (i.e., the brain might have some enhanced chance of knowing
> > the apparently unknowable if sampling superspace reveals a skew in favor
> of
> > one outcome over all others).
> >
> > Damien
> >
>
> Whether this has any basis in truth, I love the concept. I certainly have
> no plan on abandoning some more basic materialist premises, but this kind
of
> thing makes the journey far, far more interesting.
>
> Also, it has very interesting ramifications for the creationism/evolution
> debate. The strongest sticking point against evolution seems to be the
> incredulity that something so complex could arise from processes that are
> thought of as random. In the case that this concept (quantum evolution)
> could be made understood, it would seem to undermine that argument. DNA
> having a "plan", if you will. Directed processes though no higher power
or
> even conscious decision. Though, even if true, I doubt an argument from
> quantum anything would be accepted in the slightest. Pat Robertson still
> believes schizophrenia doesn't exist and is merely demonic.
>
> Interesting to note how a few scientific theories are serving to explain
> some of the fundamental issues of existence in ways their mystical
> proponents could never have dreamed of. Quantum evolution over
intelligent
> design, SI-controlled simulations over deity, the aforementioned sampling
> over ESP. It will be quite the strange situation if science begins
> explaining, scientifically, many of the concepts it currently discards.
>
>
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