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Return of the Christmas Pony – Robert Marks on Modeling Darwinian Evolution

pony

Now what were the chances of this? The other day we saw how, in his new book, Purpose and Desire: What Makes Something “Alive” and Why Modern Darwinism Has Failed to Explain It, biologist J. Scott Turner tells the story of the Christmas pony, with a girl as the protagonist. For Dr. Turner it is a parable about how evolutionists eagerly seek a coherent theory under a lot of horse manure.

In a new ID the Future episode, Baylor University professor Robert J. Marks, of Evolutionary Informatics Lab fame, tells the same story. Interesting. But now the protagonist is a boy being studied by scientists for his habitual unrealistic optimism. Again it’s a parable about how Darwinists so far haven’t produced anything like a hard science, complete with a mathematical model for how unguided evolution works. There’s a lot of horse manure, though, and they’re sure the model, like the hoped-for pony, must be under there somewhere.

Should we join them in their optimism? Or take seriously their excuses for why they haven’t found what you’d minimally expect from a hard science? Dr. Marks doesn’t think so, as he tells Robert Crower of the Center for Science & Culture. Download the podcast here, or listen to it here.

Maybe evolution is just too complicated to model? Or maybe computer simulations have already provided a sufficient demonstration that evolution works as advertised? Or maybe Bob Marks should stop asking questions about this since he’s an engineer, not a biologist?

Sorry, none of these evasions will fly, any more than a pony will. Writing for the general reader, Marks and co-authors, William Dembski and Winston Ewert, explain why in their new book, Introduction to Evolutionary Informatics. Get it now. Oh, and in case you haven’t yet, don’t forget to pre-order Purpose and Desire now to get your two free e-books. Details are here.

Photo credit: Alexas_Fotos, via Pixabay.

David Klinghoffer

Senior Fellow and Editor, Evolution News
David Klinghoffer is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute and the editor of Evolution News & Science Today, the daily voice of Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture, reporting on intelligent design, evolution, and the intersection of science and culture. Klinghoffer is also the author of six books, a former senior editor and literary editor at National Review magazine, and has written for the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Seattle Times, Commentary, and other publications. Born in Santa Monica, California, he graduated from Brown University in 1987 with an A.B. magna cum laude in comparative literature and religious studies. David lives near Seattle, Washington, with his wife and children.

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computer simulationsevolutionID the FutureIntroduction to Evolutionary InformaticsPurpose and DesireRobert J. Marks IIWilliam DembskiWinston Ewert