Creationist Claims CA211.1 and CA500]
evilgeniusabroad
This is the quote from Popper that shows he thought evolution, and
survival of the fittest could be tested and falsified.
"Biologists employ optimization analyses to predict which combinations
of morphological, behavioral, or physiological traits are more likely
to be advantageous (i.e., to increase ?fitness?) in the range of
environments actually encountered by a given living form. They then
sample natural populations of organisms, determine in which
environments they actually live, measure those traits they hypothesize
are more likely to make a difference, and obtain statistical
predictions on where natural selection should push the population next.
Finally, biologists wait until the next generation of organisms comes
out and measure their characteristics again."
(Dialectica 32:344-346).
Mark Isaak
<evilgeni...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
Any way I can get a copy of that Dialectica article? My local
libraries do not carry it.
--
Mark Isaak eciton (at) earthlink (dot) net
"Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of
the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are
being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and
exposing the country to danger." -- Hermann Goering
David Wilson
talk.origins Mark Isaak <eci...@earthlinkNOSPAM.next> wrote:
>On 25 Jan 2006 07:35:45 -0800, "evilgeniusabroad"
><evilgeni...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>This is the quote from Popper that shows he thought evolution, and
>>survival of the fittest could be tested and falsified.
>>
>>"Biologists employ optimization analyses to predict which combinations
>>of morphological, behavioral, or physiological traits are more likely
>>to be advantageous (i.e., to increase ?fitness?) in the range of
>>environments actually encountered by a given living form. They then
>>sample natural populations of organisms, determine in which
>>environments they actually live, measure those traits they hypothesize
>>are more likely to make a difference, and obtain statistical
>>predictions on where natural selection should push the population next.
>>Finally, biologists wait until the next generation of organisms comes
>>out and measure their characteristics again."
>>
>>(Dialectica 32:344-346).
>>
>>
>>http://ichat.thisislondon.co.uk/messageboards/threadInd.jsp?forum=18&message=632091&thread=224193&start=0&msRange=15
The citation for this quotation appears to have suffered from Chinese
whispers somewhere along the line. I have a copy of the cited article
and I can't find anything like the above quotation _anywhere_ in it, let
alone on pages 344-346. Even the stated page range for the quotation is
peculiar, because the quotation itself could hardly occupy more than a
small part of at most 2 consecutive pages, and the entire article actually
runs from page 339 to 355.
However, a google search on the first few words of the quotation located
an article of Massimo Pigliucci's entitled "Did Popper refute evolution?"
which appeared in the Sept-Oct 2004 issue of _Skeptical Inquirer_. The
entire quotation appears in Pigliucci's article, word for word, except
that the first sentence doesn't begin with the word "Biologists". It
begins "For example, biologists ..." and then continues as indicated. But
the whole text of the quotation appears to be _entirely Pigliucci's own_
---_he gives no indication whatever that he was quoting Popper_. Thus,
the quotation would appear to have picked up a stray misattribution to
Popper somehwere in its wanderings.
A copy of Pigliucci's article can be found at the URL:
<http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2843/is_5_28/ai_n6194235>.
The moral of the story: whenever possible, _always_ check the original
sources for the accuracy of quotations.
Nevertheless, in his Dialectica article, Popper _does_ in fact explicitly
recant his previous opinion on natural selection, and affirm that he
considers it testable. On pages 343 and 344 of the article he reviews
the opinions of various evolutionary theorists on the nature of natural
selection, as well as the one he himself had previously held. Then at
the top of page 345 he writes:
"I still believe that natural selection works in this way as a
research programe. Nevertheless, I have changed my mind about
the testability and the logical status of the theory of natural
selection; and I am glad to have the opportunity to make a
recantation. My recantation may, I hope, contribute a little
to the understanding of the nature of natural selection."
After one and a half pages of discussion he gives the following summary
(p.346).
"The theory of natural selection may be so formulated that it
is far from tautological. In this case it is not only testable
but it turns out to be not universally true. There seem to be
exceptions, as with so many biological theories; and considering
the random character of the variations on which natural selection
operates, the occurrence of exceptions is not surprising. Thus
not all phenomena of evolution are explained by natural selection
alone. Yet in every particular case it is a challenging research
programme to show how far natural selection can possibly be
held responsible for the evolution of a particular organ or
behavioural programme."
>
>Any way I can get a copy of that Dialectica article? My local
>libraries do not carry it.
>
Unfortunately I don't own a scanner. But if you email me your postal
address I'll send you a copy by snail mail.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Wilson
SPAMMERS_fingers@WILL_BE_fwi_PROSECUTED_.net.au
(Remove underlines and upper case letters to obtain my email address.
catshark
wrote:
[...]
>>>(Dialectica 32:344-346).
[...]
Mind if I adapt this portion to include in the Quote Mine Project's
response to Quote #4.17?
<http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/quotes/mine/part4.html#quote4.17>
--
---------------
J. Pieret
---------------
In the name of the bee
And of the butterfly
And of the breeze, amen
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Do you think everyone should have a blog?
Here is the counter-evidence: <http://dododreams.blogspot.com/>
David Wilson
talk.origins catshark <cats...@yahoo.com> wrote:
... [snip] ...
>
> Mind if I adapt this portion to include in the Quote Mine Project's
> response to Quote #4.17?
>
> <http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/quotes/mine/part4.html#quote4.17>
>
Not at all. Go ahead and do what you like with it.