Re: Wistar Symposium "Mathematical Challenge to Neo-Darwinism".

El Kabong wrote:

Ron Dean wrote:
 

We've discussed this before. I think originally the genetic code was
robust, but over time due to the 2/ND law and missed errors in copying,
the robustness declined and continues to decline. This I
think was anticipated from the beginning of the genetic code and several
proofreading and repair machines were implanted into the code. But even
these proofreading and repair systems are subject to errors over time.
However, they still catch overwhelming numbers of mutations and corrects
them, but not all. The evidence I think supports this. Still, each
generation inherits the mutations from previous generations and develops
new mutations, all of which is passed on down. At some distant time the
genetic code in each species becomes increasingly less robust until
reproduction
ceases and we see this in many extinctions as recorded in the fossil
record.

 Your invocation of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics is a
common creationist diversion.  It started as a deliberate
misrepresentation, and spread among the ignoratti such as
yourself.

 >
That's an easy claim to make where no proof is offered. It's just you stupid opinion!

 The earth is awash in exergy.  It has always been there
for the taking.  The 2nd law has naught to do with
genetic drift. 

 >
Errors, omissions and other mutations happen, this is running down this is increasing entropy.
The 2/ND law was stated by a locomotive engineer who observed that in a _closed_ system energy always runs down, this is increasing entropy. Heat flows from hot to cooler, never the reverse.
You are right the earth is an open system, receiving energy from the sun, but even in open systems increasing entropy occurs. For example: a house, after being deserted runs down and over time becomes completely disordered this is increasing entropy, which is in accord with the 2/nd law.
A tree grows from a seed this is decreasing entropy receiving energy from the sun, and the tree
grows matures and then dies. Now even though the dead tree continues to receive solar energy it
will decay and turn to dust. How do you explain that in terms of the 2/nd law?
Extinction almost always happens due to

environment & competition, humans included.
 You should ask an engineer to explain entropy and the 2nd
Law to you.
 

I am an engineer MsEE.  For your information according to the 2/ND law of thermodynamics the earth is an open system, but the second law was originally defined by Carnot a steam engine engineer. He defined the 2/ND law in terms of a closed system. He cared nothing about open systems.  But he, Carnot formulated the second law of thermodynamics.

 

If one looks at the fossil record with _no_ biases, I think what we find
is the abrupt appearance of most (if not all) species in the strata,
then long periods of stasis followed by sudden disappearance.
I think Dr Stephen J. Gould was an honest scientist who voiced what was
actually observed in the fossil record without bias or an overriding
commitment to convention.

 So Gould was an IDer.  Who knew?
 

No, that's not my claim. Stephen Gould observed the traits and characteristics of the fossil record and he tried to interpret what he found to fit within the scope of evolution. He never changed his mind. He died an evolutionist.