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two points:

1
When I rant about the use of the word "random" and its cousins, I'm 
talking particularly about of the lexicon of debate and persuasion.
I'm really just hoping for someone with more credibility than me to 
jump up and champion a vocabulary that can set the terms of the 
political debate such that our language helps make opposition 
understand and agree rather than feel assaulted and alienated.  Again, 
I think the words "random," "chance" and "accident" place a severe 
handicap on those who would argue in favor of evolution (or the 
education of evolution, or what-have-you).
You can say "Genetic mutation appears random, but we know of certain 
phenomenon that have various affects on the probabilities of mutation."
But I think it's wrong to declare randomness as the ultimate cause of 
life and then go rush off to debate a Creationist.  You're essentially 
winning their argument for them, aren't you?


2
Now, clearly, many with a deeper scientific understanding than I hold 
firm to the idea that randomness IS at the heart of certain phenomenon. 
  So all my ranting about vocabulary is moot.  Randomness is truth.
I contend:
When I drop this apple, I can say with confidence that gravity brought 
the apple into contact with the floor.  Gravity is a universal, 
fundamental force, and, theoretically, it's passes muster.  No debate.
When I say genetic mutation is random, what I'm really saying is I 
don't understand the mechanism of genetic mutation.  Maybe I can't even 
detect a mechanism, or maybe its too complex for me to use to generate 
predictions, but these unfortunate circumstances do not preclude an 
underlying mechanism or system of mechanisms.  In a phrase, randomness 
is NOT a universal, fundamental force, in and of itself.
Ultimately, when the big equation that models the cosmos is 
discovered/uncovered/recovered [insert throat clearing noise], there 
will be no "random" function the way there is a Planck constant.
That's Jason's understanding of science.  He's no scientist, he just 
reads a lot and loves to have dinner with well-educated people.  He 
hasn't, incidentally, won many converts, so maybe that 2x12 that 
knocked him in the head twelve years ago really did do something to his 
brain.

Next up: getting "Outlandish Design," a contender of "Intelligent 
Design" that claims that life is just too weird to be adequately 
described by science, into school curriculums, because students need to 
be exposed to a variety of viewpoints on the origins of life.

& I promise to keep quiet on the whole randomness thing for a while


Hey hey hey,
Jason J

__
JasonJayStevens
Exhibits Design + Fabrication at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum
[log in to unmask]
www.aahom.org

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