tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post2829194936573136230..comments2024-02-29T03:57:00.088-05:00Comments on The Mermaid's Tale: Doubt and dogmatism in science -- questioning natural selectionAnne Buchananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212151396672651221noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-61909003141345714332012-02-07T19:46:42.172-05:002012-02-07T19:46:42.172-05:00Ditto. :)Ditto. :)Holly Dunsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05260104967932801186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-32839374081232679592012-02-07T17:32:19.566-05:002012-02-07T17:32:19.566-05:00a final (ha!) reply -- go for it! (and keep postin...a final (ha!) reply -- go for it! (and keep posting :)Hollishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10788942181934895493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-39767321382208462952012-02-07T17:13:05.037-05:002012-02-07T17:13:05.037-05:00Truth be told (and why not?!), we are senior enoug...Truth be told (and why not?!), we are senior enough (and tenured) not to have to worry about what others think, so long as they don't feel we misrepresent things out of not understanding them.<br /><br />We have been funded, and currently are involved in a 'mapping' study that we want to use to document the nature of the complexities. Our views as we express them in MT are born out of experience rather than any kind of a priori ideology or politics: we used to feel these things had more promise than we do now, and experience has led us to think about the nature of uncertainties in science, and ones people simply don't want to face because of the threat to business as usual.<br /><br />It makes one be accused of being anti-science, when in fact it's the opposite.Ken Weisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02049713123559138421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-73827962731614681522012-02-07T17:07:08.508-05:002012-02-07T17:07:08.508-05:00I used to work for one of those people! Actually,...I used to work for one of those people! Actually, it was because he was so vested in the old model that he didn't want to hear the news, whereas I was so excited about the news :) finally had to quit, it was that much of a problem.Hollishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10788942181934895493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-87280200970906830722012-02-07T16:27:37.482-05:002012-02-07T16:27:37.482-05:00Sounds about right to me. We did a series on life...Sounds about right to me. We did a series on life as a polymer phenomenon recently, which was relevant, and GWAS shows the complexity you refer to. As a kind of new twist on old vinegar, tomorrow will further today ('Reducible complexity').<br /><br />People want simple answers. People cling to old ideas they learned in school, and so on. But we have a wealth of data to support the view you expressed.Ken Weisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02049713123559138421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-72154958459121817562012-02-07T16:15:43.901-05:002012-02-07T16:15:43.901-05:00Thanks for the very interesting post, especially s...Thanks for the very interesting post, especially since I just finished this review by Shapiro on mobile elements and evolution: (http://www.mobilednajournal.com/content/1/1/4)<br /><br />It seems to me the new thinking is not about the comparative roles of natural selection vs. genetic/epigenetic “innovation”, but rather the nature of the latter. We used to assume that small infrequent changes in DNA were the underlying basis for trait change, that mutations in general would be detrimental. Now we see that there is a much richer store of material to work with, including a lot of “neutral” variation, some of which may be useful in the right place and at the right time. Also, there is enough redundancy and robustness in the information system that some (many?) changes can be accommodated without affecting the phenotype. But in the end, if change results in a lousy phenotype, the organism won’t survive to reproduce, so natural selection still operates.<br /><br />In the context of the old thinking, variation/innovation were underrated, under-appreciated; maybe natural selection now looks overrated as a result.Hollishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10788942181934895493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-84469773941073094692012-02-07T14:01:17.057-05:002012-02-07T14:01:17.057-05:00Just because it's you, Holly. Here's the ...Just because it's you, Holly. Here's the <a href="http://www.uncommondescent.com/evolution/reviewing-james-shapiros-book-darwinist-admits-growing-number-of-gene-scientists-unconvinced-by-darwinism/" rel="nofollow">link</a> to the discussion of Adam's review. You can follow links from there.Anne Buchananhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09212151396672651221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-42265671392207170372012-02-07T13:45:45.788-05:002012-02-07T13:45:45.788-05:00I know you'd rather not link the ID posts but ...I know you'd rather not link the ID posts but would you maybe reconsider?Holly Dunsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05260104967932801186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-45486897657300887182012-02-07T11:14:57.466-05:002012-02-07T11:14:57.466-05:00Well, then, you may like tomorrow's, too:
Call...Well, then, you may like tomorrow's, too:<br />Called 'Reducible complexity'Ken Weisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02049713123559138421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812431336777691886.post-1461424492606118402012-02-07T11:13:21.737-05:002012-02-07T11:13:21.737-05:00This is terrific. So timely in the semester too!This is terrific. So timely in the semester too!Holly Dunsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05260104967932801186noreply@blogger.com