Evolution Nominated as a ‘Most Beautiful
Theory’
General relativity and something called emergence
are among other ideas also being suggested by
scholars.
Summary: Every January John Brockman, who presides over the
Edge.org website, asks scientists and other scholars to consider one
thought-provoking question. In previous years these questions have
included “how is the Internet changing the way you think?” and “what
is the most important invention in the last 2,000 years?” This year,
Brockman posed the question “what is your favorite deep, elegant or
beautiful explanation?”
Many of the nominated ideas won’t be found in high school or college
courses. For instance, computational neuroscientist Terrence
Sejnowski suggests our conscious mind does not lead us to make
important decisions, but rather we make decisions because of an
ancient brain system called basal ganglia or brain circuits, which is
unavailable to consciousness. Behavioral scientist Stephen Kosslyn
nominates Pavlovian conditioning as the reason for placebo effects.
Psychologist Alison Gopnik favors an idea that accounts for why
teenagers are so restless and reckless. She explains that two brain
systems, an emotional motivational system and a cognitive control
system, have fallen out of sync in teens.
But the ideas that got the most votes were arguably “the two most
powerful scientific theories ever developed” — Einstein’s theory of
relativity and Darwinian evolution. Einstein’s theory of relativity explains
gravity as the curvature of space. Theoretical physicist Steve Giddings
writes, "This central idea has shaped our ideas of modern cosmology
(and) given us the image of the expanding universe." General relativity
explains black holes, the bending of light and even a possible
explanation for the origin of the Universe.
But evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins insists, “Darwin's natural
selection wins hands down.” Of this theory, which is based on natural
selection operating on random genetic mutations, he adds, “Never in
the field of human comprehension were so many facts explained by
assuming so few.”
Another nominee is one by neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky. He thinks
the most beautiful idea is one called emergence, in which complex
phenomena almost magically come into existence from extremely
simple components. For instance, the intelligence of an ant colony
emerges from the seemingly senseless behavior of thousands of
individual ants. "Critically, there's no blueprint or central source of
command," says Sapolsky. Each individual ant has a simple algorithm
for interacting with the environment, "and out of this emerges a highly
efficient colony."
(Human evolution drawing from Wikimedia Commons.)
To read the entire article, click on YAHOO NEWS.
Comment: Of all the theories presented, I would vote for Mr. Sapolsky’s
emergence as the “most beautiful idea” because it comes so close to
describing intelligent design. Of course, if he is a secularist, he would
never use the words “intelligent design,” but how else could you explain
how the “seemingly senseless behavior” of individual ants could work
together to produce the “intelligence of an ant colony”? Explaining how
complex phenomena almost “magically” can come into existence from
simple components would make much more sense if God was given the
credit and not magic.
Richard Dawkins is one of the most outspoken defenders of evolution,
so it is no surprise he votes for Darwinism. However, many people may
find evolution to be anything but beautiful because this theory deals
with the gruesome “struggle for survival,” with the less-fit dying out and
no hope in the future being offered to mankind. In addition, if evolution
is so beautiful, why the well-documented repression of popular alternate
viewpoints, specifically creation science, in public colleges, in science
magazines, and in the media?
Want to know what idea really wins the “beautiful idea” contest hands
down, and it is no mere theory. According to the book of Isaiah,
“How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation” (Isaiah 52:7)
And the good news is that we have a Savior, Jesus Christ, Who loves
us, Who died for us, and Who wants us to be with Him eternally in His
beautiful home in heaven (Revelation 21:2).
Theory’
General relativity and something called emergence
are among other ideas also being suggested by
scholars.
Summary: Every January John Brockman, who presides over the
Edge.org website, asks scientists and other scholars to consider one
thought-provoking question. In previous years these questions have
included “how is the Internet changing the way you think?” and “what
is the most important invention in the last 2,000 years?” This year,
Brockman posed the question “what is your favorite deep, elegant or
beautiful explanation?”
Many of the nominated ideas won’t be found in high school or college
courses. For instance, computational neuroscientist Terrence
Sejnowski suggests our conscious mind does not lead us to make
important decisions, but rather we make decisions because of an
ancient brain system called basal ganglia or brain circuits, which is
unavailable to consciousness. Behavioral scientist Stephen Kosslyn
nominates Pavlovian conditioning as the reason for placebo effects.
Psychologist Alison Gopnik favors an idea that accounts for why
teenagers are so restless and reckless. She explains that two brain
systems, an emotional motivational system and a cognitive control
system, have fallen out of sync in teens.
But the ideas that got the most votes were arguably “the two most
powerful scientific theories ever developed” — Einstein’s theory of
relativity and Darwinian evolution. Einstein’s theory of relativity explains
gravity as the curvature of space. Theoretical physicist Steve Giddings
writes, "This central idea has shaped our ideas of modern cosmology
(and) given us the image of the expanding universe." General relativity
explains black holes, the bending of light and even a possible
explanation for the origin of the Universe.
But evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins insists, “Darwin's natural
selection wins hands down.” Of this theory, which is based on natural
selection operating on random genetic mutations, he adds, “Never in
the field of human comprehension were so many facts explained by
assuming so few.”
Another nominee is one by neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky. He thinks
the most beautiful idea is one called emergence, in which complex
phenomena almost magically come into existence from extremely
simple components. For instance, the intelligence of an ant colony
emerges from the seemingly senseless behavior of thousands of
individual ants. "Critically, there's no blueprint or central source of
command," says Sapolsky. Each individual ant has a simple algorithm
for interacting with the environment, "and out of this emerges a highly
efficient colony."
(Human evolution drawing from Wikimedia Commons.)
To read the entire article, click on YAHOO NEWS.
Comment: Of all the theories presented, I would vote for Mr. Sapolsky’s
emergence as the “most beautiful idea” because it comes so close to
describing intelligent design. Of course, if he is a secularist, he would
never use the words “intelligent design,” but how else could you explain
how the “seemingly senseless behavior” of individual ants could work
together to produce the “intelligence of an ant colony”? Explaining how
complex phenomena almost “magically” can come into existence from
simple components would make much more sense if God was given the
credit and not magic.
Richard Dawkins is one of the most outspoken defenders of evolution,
so it is no surprise he votes for Darwinism. However, many people may
find evolution to be anything but beautiful because this theory deals
with the gruesome “struggle for survival,” with the less-fit dying out and
no hope in the future being offered to mankind. In addition, if evolution
is so beautiful, why the well-documented repression of popular alternate
viewpoints, specifically creation science, in public colleges, in science
magazines, and in the media?
Want to know what idea really wins the “beautiful idea” contest hands
down, and it is no mere theory. According to the book of Isaiah,
“How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation” (Isaiah 52:7)
And the good news is that we have a Savior, Jesus Christ, Who loves
us, Who died for us, and Who wants us to be with Him eternally in His
beautiful home in heaven (Revelation 21:2).
LSI Blog - Monday, Jan. 23, 2012
