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Jason;

	Randomness is not the "ultimate cause of life" but it is a 
factor in evolution for without  variations in populations (due to 
random mutations) evolution cannot occur according to our current 
understanding.

Martin.



>ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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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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-- 
Martin Weiss, PhD
Vice President, Science
New York Hall of Science
47-01 111 th Street
Corona, New York 11368
phone	718 699 0005 x 356
facsimile	718 699 1341

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