Hey folks, I have a question about natural selection: what is it?
No, this is not another evolution vs. creation post (at least, that's not my intent), nor is it me proclaiming I don't believe in NS.
In fact the type of creationism I favor makes heavy use of natural selection to account for the variety within species or groups of species.
Recently however I've been reading another book and it discussed natural selection in a philosophical way, showing that there are multiple ways to define NS and all of them were unscientific.
I found that rather strange, since obviously we can see that some individuals or some species can live on while others go extinct. Since they are not actively selected by an outside intelligence (like man or God or aliens) it would be oke to say that "nature selects".
Now I will not repeat his arguments here, for that may put you in a frame of mind about how to define NS, rahter I'd like you guys to give me your best shot of defining NS and then I'll see if his arguments are still valid when applied to your definitions
One more thing about what I meant with "scientific", here I mean that it is (a theory or hypothesis that is) falsifiable (Popper).
No, this is not another evolution vs. creation post (at least, that's not my intent), nor is it me proclaiming I don't believe in NS.
In fact the type of creationism I favor makes heavy use of natural selection to account for the variety within species or groups of species.
Recently however I've been reading another book and it discussed natural selection in a philosophical way, showing that there are multiple ways to define NS and all of them were unscientific.
I found that rather strange, since obviously we can see that some individuals or some species can live on while others go extinct. Since they are not actively selected by an outside intelligence (like man or God or aliens) it would be oke to say that "nature selects".
Now I will not repeat his arguments here, for that may put you in a frame of mind about how to define NS, rahter I'd like you guys to give me your best shot of defining NS and then I'll see if his arguments are still valid when applied to your definitions

One more thing about what I meant with "scientific", here I mean that it is (a theory or hypothesis that is) falsifiable (Popper).
Natural selection
- 06/08/2011 03:51:26 PM
1332 Views
selection for suitability
- 06/08/2011 04:18:51 PM
966 Views
Thanks for your responce
- 06/08/2011 04:41:20 PM
1099 Views
- 06/08/2011 04:41:20 PM
1099 Views
I can't speak for LadyLorraine and won't try, but here's how I see it:
- 06/08/2011 06:49:49 PM
1052 Views
Just a question
- 06/08/2011 07:18:09 PM
1056 Views
Yes it can
- 06/08/2011 07:41:59 PM
892 Views
But how?
- 06/08/2011 07:52:10 PM
1113 Views
Re: Just a question
- 06/08/2011 07:49:21 PM
1135 Views
I'm not sure I understand you
- 06/08/2011 08:20:44 PM
1045 Views
All tautologies are truisms, but not all truisms are tautologies.
- 06/08/2011 09:38:12 PM
1099 Views
Then it is still a tautology
- 06/08/2011 09:45:33 PM
1110 Views
You can know it's beneifical to a particular individual, but it's harder to say for populations.
- 06/08/2011 10:18:16 PM
1153 Views
Maybe...
- 07/08/2011 01:55:54 PM
1013 Views
I'm more inclined toward his logic, but possibly toward your conclusions.
- 09/08/2011 12:45:46 AM
1088 Views
we can't really know ahead of time what makes a specific trait benefical in that environment
- 09/08/2011 06:16:02 PM
1127 Views
As I understand it
- 06/08/2011 06:04:44 PM
964 Views
Better...
- 06/08/2011 06:36:38 PM
960 Views
Did you perhaps mean "beneficial in the environment" rather than "beneficial to the environment"?
- 06/08/2011 06:34:44 PM
1074 Views
yes. I did not really phrase that very clearly. *NM*
- 09/08/2011 06:14:11 PM
446 Views
No biggy; from what Bram said, I underestimated how well you were understood anyway.
- 09/08/2011 06:45:16 PM
1002 Views
Hmmm... there's some truth to that
- 06/08/2011 06:36:35 PM
1058 Views
The complexity of the problem makes it all but impossible to falsify...
- 06/08/2011 08:26:06 PM
1067 Views
The questions go deeper
- 06/08/2011 08:38:31 PM
1094 Views
Re: The questions go deeper
- 06/08/2011 09:10:32 PM
1065 Views
I think I know why you don't understand my question.
- 06/08/2011 09:38:41 PM
1106 Views
How many equation's has Moraine screwed up?
*NM*
- 06/08/2011 09:45:36 PM
457 Views
*NM*
- 06/08/2011 09:45:36 PM
457 Views
100% I think Moriaine is a very beneficial trait that contributes a lot to the RAFO pool
*NM*
- 06/08/2011 09:46:54 PM
495 Views
*NM*
- 06/08/2011 09:46:54 PM
495 Views
Re: Natural selection
- 07/08/2011 03:00:30 AM
1075 Views
Thanks a lot
- 07/08/2011 01:38:39 PM
1195 Views
2 things
- 07/08/2011 04:00:35 PM
946 Views
Re: 2 things
- 07/08/2011 04:33:00 PM
1156 Views
Re: 2 things
- 07/08/2011 05:48:26 PM
998 Views
My best guess
- 07/08/2011 06:00:28 PM
1072 Views
Re: My best guess
- 07/08/2011 06:37:58 PM
964 Views
Re: My best guess
- 07/08/2011 06:47:26 PM
1131 Views
