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BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard
3192 Posts |
 Posted - 12/01/2004 : 05:40:01
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6622284/
G A T T A C A :)
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"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History
"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini |
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Plyss
Skeptic Friend
Netherlands
231 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2004 : 06:52:49 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by BigPapaSmurf
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6622284/
G A T T A C A :)
Bleugh, the december edition of Genome Research isn't online yet.
Two points of criticism on the news-article though.
quote:
"It's driven by curiosity about our own origins," Haussler told MSNBC.com Tuesday. "If we really want to understand in detail, at the molecular level, how evolution works, we have to reconstruct the evolutionary history of every base in the genome. It's only then that we'll see the key events."
I sincerely doubt one will be able to see key-events in evolution and place them in context based solely on sequence data. If you would want to differentiate between, say, genetic drift and a selective advantage you'd need to know a lot about the environment the organism lived in as well as a lot of data on the function (if any) of the gene-product.
Of course he isn't saying that DNA sequence are the only factor in evolution, but the way i read it it seems to be implied.
Nevertheless, this is really nice research.
Something i found worrying though is the following quote:
quote:
It's like there was an ancient text, and 20 different copies of this text were stored away in different places, and each one underwent independent and separate types of decay processes.
A decay process is a very poor metaphore for the evolution of a genome. It really misses the exact point of an evolutionary process, which confers an reproductive advantage to an organism.
Then again, maybe i'm reading to much into a harmless yet poor figure of speech here. |
Miss Tick sniffed. 'You could say this piece of advice is pricesless', she said. 'Are you listening?'
'Yes' said Tiffany.
'Good now...If you trust in yourself.."
'Yes..?'
'..and believe in your dreams...'
'yes?'
'...and follow your star..' Miss Tick went on.
'Yes?'
'You'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy. Goodbye.' |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 12/02/2004 : 01:15:09 [Permalink]
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doesn't appear to be on msnbc currently... click the link, get sent to the "not found" page.
Do a search for ancestral genome and you get a brief description of the story, but the link takes you to the "not found" page also.
Might just be a glitch at 3am est.
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Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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Shacal
Skeptic Friend
USA
51 Posts |
Posted - 12/02/2004 : 13:47:52 [Permalink]
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| Actually, I was a lot more interested by the story linked in this article (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6495951/#041115a). The author seems to take a “Templeton” view of evolution, and criticizes those who take a firm stance for or against it. This is a perfect example of the problem with mainstream media- their science analyst feels it is nesscary to create a story that gives equal scientific merit to both evolution and creation. |
"The problem with communication is the illusion that we have accomplished it" |
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Plyss
Skeptic Friend
Netherlands
231 Posts |
Posted - 12/02/2004 : 15:41:17 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Shacal
a “Templeton” view of evolution
I'm afraid i'm not familiar with that phrase. Could you elaborate?
Also, welcome to SFN, Shacal!
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Miss Tick sniffed. 'You could say this piece of advice is pricesless', she said. 'Are you listening?'
'Yes' said Tiffany.
'Good now...If you trust in yourself.."
'Yes..?'
'..and believe in your dreams...'
'yes?'
'...and follow your star..' Miss Tick went on.
'Yes?'
'You'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy. Goodbye.' |
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Shacal
Skeptic Friend
USA
51 Posts |
Posted - 12/02/2004 : 17:39:38 [Permalink]
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Templeton is a foundation that gives large grants to scientists who "find" (read: manufacture) evidence that conciliates science and (Christian) religion. In this article, the author pleads for someone to find a way to make evolution fully compatable with religion. Finding proof of "theistic evolution" has been a main goal of the Templeton Foundation for some time.
Hope that helps |
"The problem with communication is the illusion that we have accomplished it" |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
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Shacal
Skeptic Friend
USA
51 Posts |
Posted - 12/02/2004 : 19:43:29 [Permalink]
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Haha, that is a very appropriate thread.
Thanks for the warm greeting, by the way. I'm glad to have joined after lurking so long.  |
"The problem with communication is the illusion that we have accomplished it" |
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