Complexity from Simplicity

A common complaint I hear from theists knocking modern cosmology or evolution is "how could all this complexity have arisen from simple matter. This ignores the many obvious examples of complexity arising from simplicity in nature around us. I present a thought experiment to demonstrate how an extremely simple set of rules can generate the most complex of results.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• atheism
• theism
• cosmology
• religion
• complexity
• simplicity
• rules
• bob
• beetle
• simulation

[PlasteredDragon]

@divvy1400yam600 All you've offered is assertions. That which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence. Goodbye.

[divvy1400yam600]

@PlasteredDragon Only beacuse I commented on the intrinsic inaccuracy of your video presentation and you didn't like what I said and thought you could prove me wrong.

[PlasteredDragon]

@divvy1400yam600 Maybe you should watch the video again. The natural world is built up out of particles that obey rules and this thought experiment is a crude demonstration that a system of simple rules that feeds back into itself can generate complexity from simplicity. The fact that I used arithmetic and so forth--none of that matters; this is a SIMULATION. I am NOT demonstrating the scientific method or making claims about what the scientific method can do. Pay attention (or leave) please.

[PlasteredDragon]

@divvy1400yam600 I count eight assertions and no evidence in this post. Why are you speaking to me?

[divvy1400yam600]

@PlasteredDragon It may not be clear that I am trying to say that the sciemtific method is limited.

It will never will able to explain everything.

In fact depending on what you mean by explain, science cannot explain anything

Practitioners observe models and construct useable hypthosese(sp?)

In many areas it has been extremely successfull

In others such as cosmology it is doomed to fail.

Atheism is not viable.

The only possible attitude is agnosticism or a belief in creation.

[divvy1400yam600]

@PlasteredDragon I say you demonstrate the scientific method with a presentation that implicity indicates that all may be understood, in this case simplicity to complexity, by application and interpretation of rules.

You provide the rules which include memory, addition, subtracton and navigation based on intelligence.

Not so simple when viewed in that light is it ?

Also on the first iteration a crude ellipse is produced.

Where you trying to demonstarte Intelligent design ?

[PlasteredDragon]

@divvy1400yam600 I am not demonstrating the scientific method in this video. Nor do I claim to. If you'd like to have an honest discussion, please don't bring your strawmen along. Thanks.

[PlasteredDragon]

@divvy1400yam600 When most people hit bottom, they don't start digging. The patterns created by Bob's wanderings are not "random", they are the opposite of random, as evidenced by the fact that Bob can produce repeating patterns each requiring thousands of steps to complete. Patternicity does not equal randomness, much as you would produce simply by dumping a bucket of letters. Your wishful thinking does not obtain in the task of equivocating the results above with randomness.

[divvy1400yam600]

@PlasteredDragon You appear not to know what science actually does do.

FYI it models and produces testable meaningful explanatory hypothosese (sp?)

Not random Rorschach images. aka blobs.

In support of the scientific method you present a simulation demonstrating complexity can arise spontaneously.

I can demonstrate it too.

Take a very large bucket full of letters of the alphabet.

Empty the bucket on the ground et voila...unique useless complexity.

Aint science wunnerful ?

[PlasteredDragon]

@divvy1400yam600 Your magical blather about the transcendent mysteries of DNA/RNA synthesis is simply an assertion. Science does quite well at unlocking such mysteries. It's close-minded thinking that leads one to assume its the product of magic. As far as who produced Bob (a) look up the word 'simulation' in the dictionary, and (b) don't waste my time with first-cause arguments. Finally the complexity of those "blobs" is self-evident to those not blinded by their need to feel special.