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From: friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen)
Newsgroups: net.origins
Subject: Re: The Scientific Case for Creation: (Part 17)
Message-ID: <465@psivax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 22-May-85 16:12:06 EDT
Article-I.D.: psivax.465
Posted: Wed May 22 16:12:06 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 26-May-85 21:13:49 EDT
References: <359@iham1.UUCP>
Reply-To: friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley friesen)
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Organization: Pacesetter Systems Inc., Sylmar, CA
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Summary: 

In article <359@iham1.UUCP> rck@iham1.UUCP (Ron Kukuk) writes:
>
>
>    C.  NEW RESEARCH SHOWS THAT  THE  REQUIREMENTS  FOR  LIFE  ARE  SO
>        COMPLEX  THAT CHANCE AND EVEN BILLIONS OF YEARS CANNOT EXPLAIN
>        IT.
>
>       29.  Computer-generated  comparisons  have  been  made  of  the
>            sequences  of  amino acids that comprise a protein that is
>            common to almost all forms of animal and plant  life.  The
>            results of this study seriously contradict the predictions
>            of the theory of evolution [a-d].
>
>            d)  Dr. Colin Patterson is the Senior Principal Scientific
>                Officer in the Palaeontology Department at the British
>                Museum of Natural History.   In  a  talk  he  gave  on
>                November  5,  1981  to  leading  evolutionists  at the
>                American Museum of Natural History, he presented  some
>                new  data  on amino acid sequences in several proteins
>                of a number of animals.  The  relationships  of  these
>                animals,  according  to  evolutionary theory, has been
>                taught in classrooms for many decades.  Dr.  Patterson
>                pointed  out  to a stunned audience that this new data
>                contradicts the theory of  evolution.  In  his  words,
>                ''The  theory makes a prediction; we've tested it, and
>                the prediction is falsified precisely.''  Although  he
>                acknowledged  that  scientific  falsification is never
>                absolute, the thrust of his entire talk  was  that  he
>                now  realized  that ''evolution was a faith,'' that he
>                had ''been duped into  taking  evolution  as  revealed
>                truth  in  some  way,''  and ''that evolution not only
>                conveys  no  knowledge  but  seems  to  convey   anti-
>                knowledge,  apparent  knowledge  which  is  harmful to
>                systematics  [the  science  of  classifying  different
>                forms   of  life].''  [''Prominent  British  Scientist
>                Challenges    Evolution    Theory,''    Audio     Tape
>                Transcription  and  Summary by Luther D. Sunderland, 5
>                Griffin Drive, Apalachin, New  York  13732.  Also  see
>                Luther  D. Sunderland and Gary E. Parker, ''Evolution?
>                Prominent Scientist Reconsiders,'' ICR IMPACT, No.108,
>                June 1982.]
>
	There is a basic falacy here. Evidence against a particular
phylogenetic hypothesis, even a widely accepted is a *far* cry from
evidence against evolutionary theory. The overall theory makes
predictions about *mechanisms* of change, not about particular changes.
Any given phylogeny is a hypothesis about particular that appear
resonible and are supported by available evidence. Given that the
results in the sequencing study are as unexpected as claimed, they
need to be replicated by other scientists, and then carefully examined
as to thier significance to current phylogenetic hypotheses.
P.S:
(Many of these studies suffer from "small sample" problems and must be
evaluated with considerable care - I am talking about too few distinct
species being included in most sequencing studies. If you want a
discourse on the statistical reasoning behind this I will post it).
-- 

				Sarima (Stanley Friesen)

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