Posted: Apr 10, 2020 10:42 am
Rachel Bronwyn wrote:The complex molecular machine develops step by step with most "versions" at every step being selected against or ignored. Natural selection doesn't need to plan it. The bits that work hang around and the bits that don't, don't. It's social. Over time the complexity of the machine increases. Sometimes those complex machines play different roles at particular steps. Sometimes a single mutation results in a molecular machine performing a different function that is selected for.
If foresight were involved it would happen much faster than it does via natural selection, which is gradual, and probably wouldn't fulfill intermediate roles. There would be a distinct endpoint goal to work towards. Nevertheless, natural selection worked for a long time. Now we regularly avoid being selected against because we research and plan and experiment. Natural selection has happened up until now without us exerting any influence though.
You need to have something functional and useful already in place for which to "select". That is the fundamental flaw in the Darwinian argument.