What Are Your Favorite Arguments For Intelligent Design?

[scd]

@John_Harshman

“Bits” appears to be something like the probability of producing the amino acid sequence of a specific human protein starting from nothing

yep. but there is any reason to think that all functional sequences are near each other in the sequence space?

[Ashwin_s]

@John_Harshman

Even if we evolve life from nonlife in the lab, how do we know that we didn’t just observe God creating a new organism?

Atleast it will establish that it’s possible to “evolve” life from non life.

What do you mean by “evolve” in this context?

[Ashwin_s]

@Mercer

I agree completely about the flipping as an indicator of good faith, except that as a biologist, I would never even consider asking someone to offer arguments for evolution, because the evidence is what convinces

What would constitute as evidence for design in your opinion.

[colewd (Bill Cole)]

@Timothy_Horton

What can’t saying “DESIGN” explain? How is saying “DESIGN” any different from saying “MAGIC”? Both are untestable, make no predictions, provide no mechanisms, are unfalsifiable. Completely worthless in other words.

How do you support the claim that design is untestable?

[Timothy_Horton]

@colewd

How do you support the claim that design is untestable?

The fact no one has ever come up with a testable hypothesis for the ID of biological life. Go ahead Bill, you can be the first.

[colewd (Bill Cole)]

@Timothy_Horton

The fact no one has ever come up with a testable hypothesis for the ID of biological life. Go ahead Bill, you can be the first.

How would you support the claim that no one has ever come up with a testable hypothesis?

[Roy (34-year veteran)]

@Rumraket

Coming up with a very convoluted argument using difficult to parse philosophical concepts and technical jargon, while they may superficially sound very impressive, are often bad arguments as they dissuade even the people who agree with them from employing them in debates because they fear they can’t defend them if challenged.

The exception being the impenetrably clueless who cite such arguments anyway because they think everyone else is as clueless as they are, and their attempted defence by incompetent and ignorant misrepetition isn’t obviously invalid.

[Timothy_Horton]

@colewd

How would you support the claim that no one has ever come up with a testable hypothesis?

If you claim there is a testable ID hypothesis then present it. If you can’t my contention is supported.

[colewd (Bill Cole)]

@Timothy_Horton

If you claim there is a testable ID hypothesis then present it. If you can’t my contention is supported.

You made a claim now its your burden to support it.

[Roy (34-year veteran)]

@colewd

@Timothy_Horton

The fact no one has ever come up with a testable hypothesis for the ID of biological life. Go ahead Bill, you can be the first.

How would you support the claim that no one has ever come up with a testable hypothesis?

Step one is to note that you didn’t produce one.

[Timothy_Horton]

@colewd

You made a claim now its your burden to support it.

Every time you fail to provide a testable ID hypothesis the claim is supported. See Bill, you can do something useful in science after all.

[colewd (Bill Cole)]

@Roy

Step one is to note that you didn’t produce one.

What is step 2?

[Timothy_Horton]

@colewd

Step one is to note that you didn’t produce one.

What is step 2?

Step two is to note the original contention is supported.

[Roy (34-year veteran)]

@colewd

@Roy

Step one is to note that you didn’t produce one.

What is step 2?

Step 2 could be to note that after it was pointed out that you didn’t produce one, you still didn’t produce one, and nor did anyone else. Steps 3+ are the same ad infinitum.

[colewd (Bill Cole)]

@Roy

Step 2 could be to note that after it was pointed out that you didn’t produce one, you still didn’t produce one, and nor did anyone else. Steps 3+ are the same ad infinitum .

At the end of the day you still have an unsupported claim as you are simply showing one source has not demonstrated the claim. What other sources have you looked at?

[Timothy_Horton]

@colewd

At the end of the day you still have an unsupported claim as you are simply showing one source has not demonstrated the claim. What other sources have you looked at?

Then the claim is supported. I’ve looked all through the primary scientific literature as well as the few remaining ID pushing sites on the web.

That there are no testable hypotheses for the ID of biological life is very well supported.

[colewd (Bill Cole)]

@Timothy_Horton

Then the claim is supported. I’ve looked all through the primary scientific literature as well as the few remaining ID pushing sites on the web.

That there are no testable hypotheses for the ID of biological life is very well supported.

All you have demonstrated here is that you don’t understand what a test is and you cannot read scientific literature. You also don’t understand the trap you have put yourself in.

[Timothy_Horton]

@colewd

All you have demonstrated here is that you don’t understand what a test is and you cannot read scientific literature. You also don’t understand the trap you have put yourself in.

All I see is you claiming there are testable ID hypotheses then failing miserably to present even one.

[colewd (Bill Cole)]

@Timothy_Horton

All I see is you claiming there are testable ID hypotheses

How would you support this claim?

[Timothy_Horton]

@colewd

How would you support this claim?

Let people read this thread with all your squirming and evasions and hand-waving.