Uncommon Descent Serving The Intelligent Design Community

Type
post
Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
October 19, 2019
Categories
Animal minds
Intelligent Design
Neuroscience
Tagged
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The Paris Zoo “blob”: What exactly IS the role of the brain in processing information?

News
October 19, 2019
Animal minds, Intelligent Design, Neuroscience
1
"Polycephalum’s type of organism is thought to have existed for roughly a billion years though it has only been studied intensively in recent decades. It is technically called a “protist” (a catch-all category for life forms that are hard to classify). It makes decisions with no apparent source of intelligence." Read More ›
Type
post
Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
October 19, 2019
Categories
Darwinism
Intelligent Design
Tagged
, ,

The Dead Leaf butterfly is making the rounds again

News
October 19, 2019
Darwinism, Intelligent Design
1
Given a time period for the emergence of butterflies, what is the probability of this camouflage occurring by purely Darwinian means? If calculation replaced assertion, we’d likely be looking for other mechanisms than natural selection acting on random mutations. Read More ›
Type
post
Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
October 18, 2019
Categories
Evolution
Genetics
Intelligent Design
Tagged
,

Big Data study of termites forces rethink of their evolution

News
October 18, 2019
Evolution, Genetics, Intelligent Design
2
“Often, researchers construct a phylogeny using a single gene. This can, however, give an inaccurate picture of the relationship between species -- and can incorrectly place them.” So the industrious team studied “used up to 4065 genes from each termite species to construct the phylogeny.” Good for them. But it raises the question, why—in the age of Big Gene—doesn’t everyone do that, instead of loudly proclaiming an evolutionary history based on a handful of genes? One is much less inclined to dismiss the evidence of thousands than a handful. Read More ›
Type
post
Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
October 18, 2019
Categories
Evolution
Intelligent Design
speciation
Tagged
,

Claim: Sexual selection could spark new species

News
October 18, 2019
Evolution, Intelligent Design, speciation
3
Of course, sexual selection could spark new species. Lots of events could. At least in theory. The problem is, it must persist generation after generation to make and maintain a difference. How often can it work that way unchecked in an ecology where a great many other shaping events are happening at the same time? Read More ›
Type
post
Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
October 17, 2019
Categories
Cosmology
Intelligent Design
Physics
Tagged
, ,

Hossenfelder: Could the problem with dark matter come down to using wrong equations?

News
October 17, 2019
Cosmology, Intelligent Design, Physics
3
Sabine Hossenfelder: Given how much brain-power physicists have spent on trying to figure out what dark matter and dark energy is, I think it would be a good idea to definitely settle the question whether it is anything at all. At the very least, I would sleep better. Read More ›
Type
post
Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
October 17, 2019
Categories
Animal minds
Intelligent Design
Mind
Tagged
,

Animal studies tend to show that the human experience is unique

News
October 17, 2019
Animal minds, Intelligent Design, Mind
2
Many people assume that human consciousness arose accidentally many eons ago from animal consciousness and that therefore we can find glimmers of the same sort of consciousness in the minds of animals. But that approach isn’t producing the expected results. Read More ›
Type
post
Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
October 17, 2019
Categories
Epigenetics
Intelligent Design
Tagged
,

Researcher: The question is not whether epigenetic learning is inherited but how

News
October 17, 2019
Epigenetics, Intelligent Design
2
Why do the epigenetic changes last only a few generations? Hmmm. Well, if life, in general, exists by design and not by chance, many adaptations may only be intended to last a few generations. Environments constantly change, after all, and a requirement that all patterns be locked in could be a road to extinction. Read More ›
Type
post
Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
October 17, 2019
Categories
Intelligent Design
Mind
Naturalism
Neuroscience
Tagged
, , ,

Templeton is sponsoring a historic type of contest in the quest to understand consciousness

News
October 17, 2019
Intelligent Design, Mind, Naturalism, Neuroscience
3
We are sure that, in reality, anyone really attached to the losing theory will find wiggle room. But never mind. The point is, there is something to test. This sure beats: Consciousness is an evolved illusion; your coffee mug is conscious; consciousness is a material thing; electrons are conscious No wonder consciousness studies have been described in Chronicle of Higher Education as “bizarre.” Maybe not so much now. Read More ›