https://barryhisblog.blogspot.com/p/information-arises-naturally.html
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I responded, "You seem to be confused. Atheism is just non-theism, so you are asking the wrong people. Presuming that you are asking about biology, novel heritable genetic variation is being created all the time by various mechanisms. Circumstances will naturally favour the reproductively fitter variations, so they will accumulate in a species' gene pool. These variations essentially embody information about how to successfully live and reproduce in a given environment."
BTW, the meme asks "the atheist". There are more than one of us. ;) And no creationist can define what they mean by "genetic information", let alone being able to say how it can be quantified.
Anyway, the poster asked me to explain my comment further. My response follows.
"Let's talk sexual reproduction. The offspring of any mating pair will have half the DNA of one parent, and half the DNA of the other. It's a roll of the die exactly what DNA comes from each. That in itself is a novel combination. You can add mutations and copy "errors", and duplications and deletions and viral insertions, and, apart from identical twins and triplets and so on, each individual offspring has a new, unique DNA pattern. That DNA pattern may be more or less suited to surviving and going on to being a successful parent themselves. Those that are more successful will leave more of their particular DNA in subsequent generations. We say that it is "advantageous", reproductively speaking. The DNA essentially embodies information about how to survive and procreate. And it's new. This is what is known as natural selection.
An analogy might be helpful. Imagine that you have picked up an ATM card from the street. You don't know the PIN. Now imagine you have an unlimited number of tries to use it to get cash. (And never mind the ethics of the situation, this is just a thought experiment. Nobody was harmed.) You start to go through all possible PINs. Eventually you hit on the right one, and take some money. You now have new information - how to get money with the card. It is not information that you had before you hit on the correct PIN.
Natural selection gains information by trial and error."
*The word "meme" has acquired a rather different shade of meaning from the original. It was originally coined as a pedagogical device by Richard Dawkins, to provide an analogy with the notion of gene, a unit that lives or dies by its ability to reproduce.
This is always a creationist argument. I often use the example of the Trim 5 gene in monkeys which demonstrates how novel gene variation has occurred providing a positive and beneficial mutation. TRIMming the genome.
ReplyDeleteSome monkeys have a mutation in a protein called TRIM5 that results in a piece of another, defunct protein being tacked onto TRIM5. The result is a hybrid protein called TRIM5-CypA, which can protect cells from infection with retroviruses such as HIV. Here, a single mutation has resulted in a new protein with a new and potentially vital function. New protein, new function, new information.
Thank you, Anon! As you can see from my FAQ, retroviruses are a particular interest of mine. I shall be looking into this. :)
DeleteWhen you see a man fall, have you just seen an example of "how things fall?"
ReplyDelete"The DNA essentially embodies information about how to survive and procreate." You use the word information as though you are using it in a sense that has general currency with biologists. Is there a definition for such a sense and how do biologists agree it is quantified?
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