Subject:
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Re: An interesting Sci-fi idea
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.space
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Date:
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Wed, 11 Jun 2003 20:17:31 GMT
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Viewed:
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614 times
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In lugnet.space, Felix Greco wrote:
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In lugnet.space, Leonard Hoffman wrote:
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Direct from the Eastern Block Scientific Research Directorate:
Theory of ‘Track’ Evolution
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(snip)
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I would argue that life has a finite number genetic traits for any one
population. However, space offers infinite possibilites. The combination
of even the smallest changes in environment would have dramatic effects on
the evolution of a population. Therefore, for your above stated theory, the
conditions on each planet would have to be exactly the same.
Indeed, Oceanica did not have life tending toward higher apes, but rather a
more insect-fish like kind of life. I
refer, of course, to the Sea Monkeys.
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thought this might be an interesting thought.
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A very interesting thought. Are the Interplanetary Evolutionary Biologists
an Eastern Block affiliated organization? I’d like to hear more about the
whole concept. Joe Meno and I have been toying with xenobiology over in
.aquazone for a while now.
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Well, I just had to chime in on this..
My take on this is that while there might be a finite number of organic
molecules, the combinations of molecules are infinite. A given trait might have
one or two molecules to express itself, or it may take a sequence that runs
thousands of molecules long. Whether or not a given biosystem gets that complex
is a matter of time.This plays into the tree structure that Leonard mentioned,
although, if you look at the evolutionary tree on Earth, you’ll notice that some
of the deadends happened not because a trait got ‘phased out’, but because of a
massive change in environment...meteors, climate change, etc.
So I would be inclined to change the track theory such that life will advance
toward the dominant life type of a planet. Earth could have just as easily
been populated by sentient reptiles, if it weren’t for a cataclysmic event.Or
Earth could have been populated bysentient whales;)
Joe Meno,
Amateur Xenobiologist
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: An interesting Sci-fi idea
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| (...) I guess the other fly in the oinment might be the assumption that there is an immutable 'Law of Physics'. As the quantum areas of physics are being explored as they relate to huge distances, spans of space etc, it is becoming more apparent (...) (21 years ago, 11-Jun-03, to lugnet.space, FTX)
| | | Re: An interesting Sci-fi idea
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| -snip- (...) Well, that's not necessarily so. Dinosaurs lacked the ability to adapt in the same manner that mammals did. That is what makes humans so powerful, adaptability. Of course, it also limits us. the age old pull between adaptability and (...) (21 years ago, 11-Jun-03, to lugnet.space, FTX)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: An interesting Sci-fi idea
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| (...) So, you wanna run with the big dogs, do you Jr Marshal? I would argue that life has a finite number genetic traits for any one population. However, space offers infinite possibilites. The combination of even the smallest changes in environment (...) (21 years ago, 11-Jun-03, to lugnet.space, FTX)
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