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 20:38:05 GMT
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Viewed:
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641 times
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-snip-
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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.
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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 instinctual programming. We can learn alot, but it takes time
and effort to properly learn, and if that information isn’t learned (like how to
forage/cook), then we don’t survive.
And about infinite combinations, I’m not so sure. Yeah, I’m not a biologist or
anything, but it seems to me that there can only be so many ways to match up
molecules. sure the amount is huge (several billion trillion even), but it’s
not infinite. (if there are any genetic biologists out there who’d like to
chime in?)
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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;)
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I think the Track Theory (or maybe Tree Theory?) and infinite combinations are
mutually exclusive ideas. Because, given the chance in the equation, if
combinations are infinite, then traits and species characteristics are also
infinite. It would be like playing the lottery, except the number can be any
real number.
-Jr.Mar.Hoffman
ps. i like theoretical scientific discussions!
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: An interesting Sci-fi idea
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| (...) I'm not so sure about that. I think humanities one true claim to being anything close to superior are our language skills. (...) I wouldn't listen to a biologist. (URL) Biologists are dumb>. Well, we're assuming the base of any and all life is (...) (21 years ago, 11-Jun-03, to lugnet.space, FTX)
| | | Re: An interesting Sci-fi idea
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| (...) Adaptation is a certain aspect of what happened to the dinosaurs, but still, such an event as a cataclysmic global event doesn't leave much to adapt to. Even humans would have a rough time if we weren't forewarned. (...) And how many words can (...) (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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| (...) (snip) (...) 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, (...) (21 years ago, 11-Jun-03, to lugnet.space, FTX)
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