Hoyle is presenting a false dichotomy in that argument. In essence he says (in that quote) that life arose either by random chance, or by intelligent design, and these are the only options available. They may be the only options he could think of, but they're certainly not the only ones available. Evolution is another option. If Hoyle thought evolution was random chance then he clearly didn't understand evolution.
-- Bob > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Tom C > Sent: 13 June 2007 23:33 > To: pdml@pdml.net > Subject: Re: Global warming was: The Nine-spotted > > graywolf wrote: > > > > >Hard to accept that you are not somehow special, isn't it. > Personally I > >believe random chance over >millions of years is the simplest answer. > > > > > Noted British Astonomer Fred Hoyle wrote (note I'm using this > as an example > of a noted and respected scientist, not that I agree with > everything he says > or that he's always correct... who is?) > > "if one proceeds directly and straightforwardly in this > matter, without > being deflected by a fear of incurring the wrath of > scientific opinion, one > arrives at the conclusion that biomaterials with their > amazing measure or > order must be the outcome of intelligent design." > > Hoyle calculated that the chance of obtaining the required > set of enzymes > for even the simplest living cell was one in 10 *40,000 > power. Since the > number of atoms in the known universe is infinitesimally tiny > by comparison > (10 *80 power), he argued that even a whole universe full of > primordial soup > wouldnt have a chance. He claimed: The notion that not only > the biopolymer > but the operating program of a living cell could be arrived > at by chance in > a primordial organic soup here on the Earth is evidently > nonsense of a high > order. > > Hoyle compared the random emergence of even the simplest cell to the > likelihood that "a tornado sweeping through a junk-yard might > assemble a > Boeing 747 from the materials therein." Hoyle also compared > the chance of > obtaining even a single functioning protein by chance > combination of amino > acids to a solar system full of blind men solving Rubik's Cube > simultaneously. > > > > Tom C. > > > > -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
