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Everything You Know About Natural Selection Is Wrong
CEH ^ | October 16, 2009

Posted on 10/20/2009 8:22:18 AM PDT by GodGunsGuts

Oct 16, 2009 — It’s called “a fresh theoretical framework” but it undermines the popular conception of natural selection.  It’s called a “dense and deep work on the foundations of evolutionary biology” but it criticizes as simplistic and false the ideas of Richard Dawkins, one of the most outspoken proponents of natural selection as “the greatest show on earth.”  It produces a new scheme for how natural selection works, but raises more questions than it answers.  What is it?  It’s a new book by Harvard philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith, Darwinian Populations and Natural Selection (Oxford, 2009), reviewed mostly positively by Jay Odenbaugh in Science.1

Odenbaugh is in the philosophy department of Lewis and Clark College, Oregon.  Get ready to jettison your “classical” concepts of fitness, selection and reproductive success.  Unload your simplistic ideas of gene selection, individual selection and group selection.  Prepare to see Richard Dawkins demoted from his status as a leading spokesman for modern Darwinism.  In his first paragraph, Odenbaugh clears the deck to get ready for the “fresh” ideas of Godfrey-Smith: ...

(Excerpt) Read more at creationsafaris.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: antiscienceevos; belongsinreligion; catholic; christianity; creation; darwiniacs; evangelical; evolution; evoreligion; intelligentdesign; judaism; naturalselection; notasciencetopic; propellerbeanie; protestant; science; templeofdarwin
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To: mnehring

” For example, contrary to Richard Dawkins, many instances of genic selection are instances of scaffolded reproduction of genes by cells, and evolutionary models are ultimately representing selection of organisms via their genetic properties. Often (though not always), when we treat genes as evolutionary units we imbue evolutionary biology with an “agential” framework involving agents, goals, strategies, and purposes that can corrupt the foundations of evolutionary biology.”

“many”,,, not all
“Often (though not always)”
“that can corrupt” “can” does not mean that they do.

“is this new work compatible with the old?” Not answered.

” Godfrey-Smith and others have argued that there is a role in evolutionary biology for “functional” notions.”
How big a role? Not answered. The author seems to be jumping to a lot of conclusions.


21 posted on 10/20/2009 8:59:37 AM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ( Ya can't pick up a turd by the clean end!)
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To: Moonman62

They reviewed it, and tossed it in the c-file, where it belongs.


22 posted on 10/20/2009 9:00:22 AM PDT by xcamel (The urge to save humanity is always a false front for the urge to rule it. - H. L. Mencken)
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To: ElectricStrawberry

It was published in “Nature” not “Science.”

“Nature” does publish a lot of philosophy without the rigid requirements of other periodicals. It does not promote itself as a scientific journal - it’s a magazine for entertainment and a lot of gee-whizzing.

That said, the CEH clip (they don’t actually have articles just sound bite sized snippets) doesn’t say anything of value for criticism. It’s just a brow raise and a move along.


23 posted on 10/20/2009 9:00:45 AM PDT by FormerRep
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To: Born to Conserve
Creationists seem to be the best liars.

More like surrounding the truth with a shell of ignorance.

24 posted on 10/20/2009 9:03:05 AM PDT by Moonman62 (The issue of whether cheap labor makes America great should have been settled by the Civil War.)
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To: TChris
Ahh... Evolution: The endlessly flexible theory.

It's endlessly evolving. And in the evolutionist's world of faith in "the unseen", that in itself probably proves the theory.

I just don't have that kind of faith.

25 posted on 10/20/2009 9:03:27 AM PDT by mikeus_maximus (African scam artists are now not only in my inbox-- they're running our country!)
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To: Moonman62
I think I see what you're driving at. Well, since you seem to think anything goes in the review section of Science, maybe we can get a few Creation and ID articles published there!
26 posted on 10/20/2009 9:09:39 AM PDT by GodGunsGuts
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To: GodGunsGuts
I think I see what you're driving at.

I'm driving at your misrepresentation of the truth, once again.

27 posted on 10/20/2009 9:12:42 AM PDT by Moonman62 (The issue of whether cheap labor makes America great should have been settled by the Civil War.)
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To: GodGunsGuts

“Often (though not always), when we treat genes as evolutionary units we imbue evolutionary biology with an ‘agential’ framework involving agents, goals, strategies, and purposes that can corrupt the foundations of evolutionary biology.”

We can, because that’s the easiest way to explain it. However, I don’t see that as particularly dangerous. Are people really all that likely to imbue genes with agency? Genes, for pete’s sake? I’d have thought one of the reasons evolutionists focused in on genes like a laserbeam in their technical and popular writings was to erase any sense of agency in the process. People are far more likely to think of genes as neutral parties to the process than organisms as such.


28 posted on 10/20/2009 9:15:11 AM PDT by Tublecane
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To: GodGunsGuts

Thanks for the ping!


29 posted on 10/20/2009 9:16:06 AM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: Moonman62

What truth, in your opinion, is being misrepresented, Mr. Moonman?


30 posted on 10/20/2009 9:19:23 AM PDT by GodGunsGuts
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To: sickoflibs; GodGunsGuts
This evolution is ‘fact’ stuff is promoted by atheists to show “God doesn't exist”...

But the most of us take the position that it's the best "theory", not fact, and that the overwhelming preponderance of evidence suggests that it's a good theory.

On the second part, I maintain that evolution does not prove that God doesn't exist - as nothing can prove that negative. It's entirely possible God created evolution as His means of "creation". And logical as well.

Most of GGG's rants against evolution seem to be against exactly the argument you postulated.

31 posted on 10/20/2009 9:24:16 AM PDT by jimt
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To: GodGunsGuts
...maybe we can get a few Creation and ID articles published there!

If there's actually science in them, they should be published. If it's belief, another venue might be more appropriate.

32 posted on 10/20/2009 9:27:01 AM PDT by jimt
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To: FormerRep
The link in the reference section goes to a book review in Science

Wow....it merited a brow raise? OK....ONE brow is raised at the headline and the fantastical claim made.


33 posted on 10/20/2009 9:29:02 AM PDT by ElectricStrawberry (Didja know that Man walked with vegetarian T. rex within the last 4,351 years?)
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To: jimt; GodGunsGuts

GGGs and I are complete opponents on creationism/ID ,I agree with your last reply.

But I agree that atheists are trying to spread their ‘God doesnt exist’ religion. If evolution was ‘fact’ as atheists claim, it would be dogma. That is because it is many of their dogma.


34 posted on 10/20/2009 9:29:09 AM PDT by sickoflibs ( "It's not the taxes, the redistribution is the government spending you demand stupid")
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To: sickoflibs; GodGunsGuts

see new tagline


35 posted on 10/20/2009 9:30:31 AM PDT by MrB (The only difference between a humanist and a Satanist is that the latter knows who he's working for.)
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To: jimt
Well, then, that rules out papers on Darwin's evo-religious creation myth being published in Science. I guess Science will just have to stick to science from now on.
36 posted on 10/20/2009 9:30:35 AM PDT by GodGunsGuts
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To: GodGunsGuts

A book review by a philosophy professor with a philosophy degree from a Christian University (Belmont)? I’ll give GGG’s heroes credit - they are thorough. How they weed through the thousands of articles to find the few to twist for their gain is impressive.

And silly.


37 posted on 10/20/2009 9:32:11 AM PDT by whattajoke (Let's keep Conservatism real.)
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To: MrB

...and oh so true!


38 posted on 10/20/2009 9:34:30 AM PDT by GodGunsGuts
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To: whattajoke
Someone has to wade through all that evoreligious balderdash masquerading as science and bring it to the public’s attention. It's a tough job, but as always, we are up to the task!
39 posted on 10/20/2009 9:37:43 AM PDT by GodGunsGuts
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To: ElectricStrawberry

One brow makes it a dubious claim - two brows raised and you’ve probably been startled by a rat.


40 posted on 10/20/2009 9:45:05 AM PDT by FormerRep
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