[boagie]

Originally Posted by Aedes
You're mixing a lot of terms and concepts here. Mutation can happen because of errors in DNA transcription, errors in DNA proofreading, free radicals, UV light, etc. It's not a reaction except in the sense that it's the end result of a chemical reaction that is NOT selectively induced.


I believe those aspects of one process are indeed reactions, transformation does not occur in the absence of reaction. The above you state, it's not a reaction expcept in the sense that it's the end result of a chemical reaction that is not selectively induced. Sound like reaction to me!!.

"Evolution is a genetic change on a population level that happens over time. At the nonacademic level that people talk about this here, you'd think that it's just a phenotypic change. But evolution can be easily measured and studied even in instances where no changed phenotype is produced. However, to get at the heart of your question, evolution cannot be simply described as a "reactionary response to the physical world". Why? Because the most influential factors in evolution have to do with statistical phenomena -- like the effect of non-random mating and small population size on allele frequency within a population. Natural selection exerts a much smaller force on the genome than plain old genetic drift -- although when present its force is powerful." quote

Could you expand on genetic drift? By statistical phenomena you are then infering they have no bases in reality? Are they not an expression of the conditions phenomena are subject too?

"Adaptation is both biological and behavioral. We adapted to create clothing rather than biologically evolving to grow fur. Etc." quote

These two things cannot be considered of different natures, your behaviour is an expression of your biology. Adaptation is a reaction, weather your biology reacts to grow a fur coat or you adapt to create clothing----its all reaction.

"Easy -- we genetically engineer every single embryo and we selectively abort fetuses that do not meet our standards. That way our genetic evolution is our own doing." quote

Like you said, you were dipping into science fiction, There is only one thing biology can do, and that is react to its environment. It is true there are many choices, many possiablities, but whatever you choose, it will be, a reaction to your environment.

"But outside the realm of science fiction, I don't really understand what motivates your question. Sure, it would be great if our intellect and reason ruled the world. But the fact of the matter is we're animals and we're beholden to the constraints of our biology and the permissiveness of our environment -- and nothing can change that." quote

I could not agree more, that was my point, but, you cannot even say that the environment acts, unless you mean by that anything which exists is acting, the environment simply is, and it is to the envioronment that biology is bound to react to.