From: ASpidle@aol.com
Date: Mon Mar 01 1999 - 12:46:50 MST
In a message dated 99-03-01 12:34:54 EST, Anders writes:
<<
> It seems to me that biology researchers (like my son) have extrapolated the
> most gruesome meme (we are junk that luckily survived) from their seriously
> flawed (scientifically, not theologically) theory that natural selection is
> accidental.
I wonder over this view, Kauffman seems to share it with you. It is so
different from my view: we are unique, contingent! If the universe was
re-run again, nothing like us would ever appear. We have been
selected, not randomly but with the help of randomness. There is
nothing gruesome with that. >>
Thanks Anders, I totally agree with you. It's the sense that we are lucky
junk (a direct quotation) that I think is gruesome. I love your expression
that we are unique and contingent.
While my son (PhD in molecular biology) introduced me to Kaufmann and seems to
think his work is very important, he is still stuck in the "lucky junk"
paradigm. It's the characterization, not the science that I have trouble
with. The emotional vehemence and intollerence of other interpretations that
he shares with so many others on this list (not you Anders) upsets me.
Adrian
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Fri Nov 01 2002 - 15:03:12 MST