Comments on: Evolution witnessed (for the nth time) on lizards http://rudd-o.com/archives/2008/04/23/evolution-witnessed-for-the-nth-time-on-lizards/ We only do fun stuff. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:44:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Juan Xavier Larrea http://rudd-o.com/archives/2008/04/23/evolution-witnessed-for-the-nth-time-on-lizards/#comment-501998 Juan Xavier Larrea Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:38:59 +0000 http://rudd-o.com/archives/2008/04/23/evolution-witnessed-for-the-nth-time-on-lizards/#comment-501998 <p>Exactly, this is the key element about evolution which is usually completely misunderstood.</p> Exactly, this is the key element about evolution which is usually completely misunderstood.

]]> By: Rudd-O http://rudd-o.com/archives/2008/04/23/evolution-witnessed-for-the-nth-time-on-lizards/#comment-501992 Rudd-O Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:31:50 +0000 http://rudd-o.com/archives/2008/04/23/evolution-witnessed-for-the-nth-time-on-lizards/#comment-501992 <p>I didn't mean that they mutated with the express purpose to defeat antibiotics. Purpose necessarily requires sentient intelligence, and microbes aren't sentient or intelligent.</p> <p>I just meant to say that microbes happen to mutate and those mutations confer some of their descendants the ability to succeed. This doesn't require purpose at all. It's us who insist on seeing the relationship and misguidedly inferring purpose where there is none.</p> <p>Thanks for the clarification.</p> I didn’t mean that they mutated with the express purpose to defeat antibiotics. Purpose necessarily requires sentient intelligence, and microbes aren’t sentient or intelligent.

I just meant to say that microbes happen to mutate and those mutations confer some of their descendants the ability to succeed. This doesn’t require purpose at all. It’s us who insist on seeing the relationship and misguidedly inferring purpose where there is none.

Thanks for the clarification.

]]> By: Juan Xavier Larrea http://rudd-o.com/archives/2008/04/23/evolution-witnessed-for-the-nth-time-on-lizards/#comment-501991 Juan Xavier Larrea Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:29:33 +0000 http://rudd-o.com/archives/2008/04/23/evolution-witnessed-for-the-nth-time-on-lizards/#comment-501991 <p>Just a correction. Microorganisms DO NOT change to defeat antibiotics. They mutate (some for their own good, some for worse) and the strain which is able to survive the antibiotics prevails and keep on their reproduction/infection cycle.</p> <p>This point is key.</p> Just a correction. Microorganisms DO NOT change to defeat antibiotics. They mutate (some for their own good, some for worse) and the strain which is able to survive the antibiotics prevails and keep on their reproduction/infection cycle.

This point is key.

]]>