Evolution IS a Blind Watchmaker

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In this video I deconstruct the broken watch straw man argument used by creationist / ID supporters to attack evolution. I had to pack a ton of information into this video so you WILL need to pause it periodically.

The basic premise of the argument is that a bunch of parts will never randomly assemble into the correct arrangement to form a properly functioning complex. Once again, creationists / ID supporters miss the basic concept of evolution entirely. No biologists believes, nor is there any evidence that complex systems form spontaneously in one fell swoop. That would be creation. Systems evolve through many intermediates, one step at a time, slowly building up the complexity.

Here I deconstruct their straw man argument. Basically, I simulate clocks as living organisms. Selective pressure is focused on their ability to accurately tell time. NO goal is imposed on the design (you can tell this because every simulation ends with a differently constructed clock). And it works. Clocks evolve through a series of transitional forms: Pendulum, Proto-clock, 1-handed Clock, 2-handed Clock, 3-handed Clock, and 4-handed Clock. Gradually the complexity is built up.

These labels I have assigned to the transitional forms have nothing to do with the simulation itself. They are names I assigned so that we could analyze what the population was doing. The clocks are just clocks, living in their world, trying to tell time as accurately as possible.

One thing I wanted to address but didn't have time in the video is how rapid the transitional period can be. In some simulations the population goes from pendulums to 3-handed Clocks in a hundred or so generations. And the transitions between the transitional forms are even more rapid, happening in about ten generations. Chances are none or a very limited representation of that transition will be preserved in the fossil record.

One thing I should add. The program does not draw the clocks. It maintains, mates, and simulates them, but the drawing must be done manually from the genome matrix.

The program is written in MatLab.

The hand rotations that begin with 86 are 86,000 not 86.000. When YouTube compressed the video it becam hard to tell a comma from a period.

To download this video go to:
http://www.mediafire.com/?9e1zz000mq7

To download the program go to:
http://www.mediafire.com/?1umdtnwayyp
Alternate link to download Clock Evolution Program:
http://www.mediafire.com/?yygr5xhmzdm

If you wish to translate this video you can download the PowerPoint file from:
http://www.mediafire.com/?z33mymkjmzn

Learn the facts, spread the truth, and most importantly, Think About It.

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[ExtantFrodo2]

Hear here!

[mosquitobight]

"It is a vast universe - but it is not empty."

And yet you not only believe in a god who is somehow everywhere, but you believe the Bible, written by an obscure tribe of shepherds in Palestine, is his definitive reference. You don't see a problem with that?

One day, we may make contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. If they're not too embarrassed to share their own religious beliefs with us, I assure you, they will be as different from our religions, as our religions are from each other.

[mosquitobight]

Your turn to explain yourself now. You know we scientific-minded atheists accept the fact of evolution, and you will never in a thousand years convince us to join you in mental illness and believe in your imaginary god. So why do you keep coming here? Why do you keep posting your easily refuted objections to evolution? What is it you are trying to achieve? In what way do you think your insane obsessive behaviour on this message board to be useful? Are you looking for reassurance of your faith?

[mosquitobight]

It is obvious that the world is getting too crowded for us to go on permitting the violence, suffering, ignorance, wasted human potential, inequality, and bad decisions that are the result of religion. If humanity is to exist on this planet indefinitely, preserve what's left of the natural world, and journey to the stars, we've got to cure our last remaining sufferers of the delusion of religion.

[ExtantFrodo2]

and if you get a fossil only after every 400 forms what does that do to your argument?

[ExtantFrodo2]

really? how many transitions between say wolves and poodles are recorded in the fossil record?

[mosquitobight]

Religion is not as harmless as you think. It has been used to inflict terrible suffering on disbelievers. Countries that should be united are divided by religion and in some cases are on the edge of nuclear war. Religious terrorists commit atrocities with zeal and delight. Missionaries in places like the Amazon and New Guinea are still busy introducing natives to corruption and disease and wiping out ancient languages and cultures. Religions tell hungry overpopulated people to go on multiplying.

[ExtantFrodo2]

"I look to what the Bible actually says and doesn't say."

Oh if I only had nickle for each person that makes that claim...

[ExtantFrodo2]

Why say that the atmosphere is not part of the planet? It doesn't come and go. It is inseparable from it. If the planet is without form, then the planet is ALL clouds.

"with their own imagination"

The nerve of people.

[mosquitobight]

"You have evidence that birds existed before archaeopteryx, but you have NO evidence at all archaeopteryx existed before birds."

Can you give me examples of bird fossils that are older than archaeopteryx? I can't find any.