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From: hua@cmu-cs-edu1.ARPA (Ernest Hua)
Newsgroups: net.origins
Subject: general definitions and stuff
Message-ID: <284@cmu-cs-edu1.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 10-May-85 05:17:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: cmu-cs-e.284
Posted: Fri May 10 05:17:36 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 12-May-85 00:27:46 EDT
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, CS/RI
Lines: 36

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> From: padraig@utastro.UUCP (Padraig Houlahan)
> 
> > { my general definition of evolution. }
> 
> I strongly disagree with this definition of evolution. The problem with it
> is that there are many different concepts associated with the word 
> 'evolution' and your definition fails to emphasize the biological concept
> which this news group is primarily concerned with. The "natural flow
> of things" is not accurate for this discussion.

Quite true.  The definition that I gave covers the full scope of the term
"evolution".  Biological evolution is but a subset of that, and I wanted
to put this fact into perspective.  I agree that astronomic evolution (as
an example) is not relevant to net.origins (except perhaps in rare cases).
Biological evolution does address a lot of theories and concepts, and I
seriously doubt any reasonable definition of biological evolution can do
justice to all of them.  However, since you brought it up, I shall clarify
my definition somewhat by restricting it to biological evolution only:

    biological evolution: the emergence and the development of
        self-sustaining, self-maintaining and self-replicating
        forms, otherwise know as life.

Notes:  1. This definition, as a side effect, defines life.
        2. It does include the "origin" of life because this
           topic is significant.

Once again ... all comments, gripes, threats welcome.
___________________________________________________________________________

Live long and prosper, but don't evolve;
you might get some people very upset!

Keebler { hua@cmu-cs-gandalf.arpa }