Intelligent Design

[FightingFat]

I have been thinking on the whole ID as a general theory and was wondering if there has been any attempt to investigate the possibility of an ID process that involves the reproducing entity making specific modifications to the DNA being passed on.

What I mean is that, instead of the variations of DNA being random mutations, there may in fact be an intent on the side of the reproducing entity to pass certain information on to its offspring. May DNA not perhaps provide the mechanism to revive some older theories, perhaps in revised form?

I am of course no biologist, so I could be spitting upwind here…

 

[steveandersen]

mant parts of the process is deterministic and not truely random
I’m not sure if that is what you are asking about

 

[I_Leatherman]

There is a type of carp in China (I think) which changes the shape and size of its body by growing excess muscle along its dorsal side, if a predatory species is introduced to its habitat - ‘fish scientists’ claim the fish alters itself so that it would be too large for the predator to swallow.

Random DNA mutation that caters for a future possible changable ’ If ’ event, is equally hard to swallow (in my opinion).

But I dont know anything about ID.

 

[steveandersen]

I Leatherman:

…Random DNA mutation that caters for a future possible changable ’ If ’ event, is equally hard to swallow (in my opinion)…

Tell that to a cuttlefish, chameleon, salamander, or anything else that alters its body based on circumstances.

 

[clmowry]

steveandersen:

Tell that to a cuttlefish, chameleon, salamander, or anything else that alters its body based on circumstances.

What does that have to do with random DNA mutation to meet a future need?

 

[FightingFat]

steveandersen:

mant parts of the process is deterministic and not truely random
I’m not sure if that is what you are asking about

Well, the basic theory is that half the genes comes from the mother and half from the father, but what I want to know is if anybody has considered that the parent may “on purpose” pass genes on that vary in some specific way from their own to communicate a specific characteristic that would be an advantage.

What I am getting at is that perhaps evolution is not a case of simply having the less fit organisms die out but that the organisms themselves communicate what would be desirable to their offspring. A sort of self-directed evolution.

 

[steveandersen]

Well, the whole mechanism is dependant upon variance to work

I don’t think anyone has done any work on what you are suggesting

Sounds almost like a modified Lamarckism

Now humans, with our intelligence, language and culture can make decisions on the larger scale (for example opting to marry within your ethnicity) but I don’t think that anyone has suggested that we can control things on a molecular level.

The existence of birth defects suggests against it.

 

[FightingFat]

steveandersen:

with our intelligence, language and culture can make decisions on the larger scale (for example opting to marry within your ethnicity) but I don’t think that anyone has suggested that we can control things on a molecular level.

I think the control itself would be at a fairly low level. I doubt there would be any conscious control. Certainly an ability to guide the evolution of our offspring would be an evolutionary advantage, so surely even random selection should eventually lead to such a mechanism developing. Sort of like using weighted dice?

steveandersen:

The existence of birth defects suggests against it.

No more than the existence of motor vehicle accidents suggests that these vehicles are not steered.