StringJunky

The path evolution follows is not purely random. When chemicals interact is random, but how they interact is predetermined by their properties, which are fixed. So, we know what they'll do together, we just don't know when. Ditto more complex physical systems. You start getting these molecular machines that get modified by other passing molecules. The ones with the shortest energy pathway will perform the interaction with a given system. That's essentially what 'competition' is. Out of that molecular dance we start to see 'designs' of discrete molecular systems that co-interact to create the next level towards organism synthesis until we reach full organisms.

That's the long and the short of It, I think. It's interesting to me how many people can't leave unknown answers to questions on nature and have to make something up.

I find teleologically-driven evolution as a kind of 'god-of-the gaps' crutch when people reach an impasse in explaining aspects of nature that have not yet been fully described.

I think he meant "rehabilitated"; tongue in cheek.

That's good that you are helping make a noise. It would seem to me that the GOP's love of all things arms could go against them in a lethal way if/when a critical mass of MAGA section realize they were never part of Trump and Co's plans and the effects of their policies sink in. I imagine their collective action will be highly visceral and physical. I think it's just going to get increasingly turbulent. I can't see Trump doing 4 years.

I was told as a youngster by a chap who was a communist that to beat the system, you have to be the system. That's what Trump's done and his acolytes. I hope American citizen's don't regret not doing anything now to change the direction.

That's good news then. It's clear what the tangerine tyrant's agenda is, isn't it?

I read earlier today that NPR and PBS have lost their funding. From the White House notices: "a) The CPB Board shall cease direct funding to NPR and PBS, consistent with my Administration's policy to ensure that Federal funding does not support biased and partisan news coverage. The CPB Board shall cancel existing direct funding to the maximum extent allowed by law and shall decline to provide future funding 1 May 2025"

Yes, emulsifiers seems mainly about maintaining visual presentation for as long as possible. Inflammatory responses to the often synthetic additives in food seem to initiate a lot of common first world health problems.

I meant Trump is one.

"Bad criminals". The irony.

Gastrointestinal inflammation triggered by what we eat, particularly emulsifiers, is an active interest of mine atm. I'm starting to look at what I eat that detrimentally affects the gut lining and its associated flora. As I get older. I'm in my early 60's, I'm finding what I eat affects the chemical equilibrium of my stomach and guts. Re: emulsifiers, a lot of the pre-made food I eat contains synthetic emulsifiers that are known to compromise the ability of the mucous layer to act as an effective physical barrier to the gut flora, allowing them to detrimentally interact more closely with surface cells of the gut and stomach. These can cause inflammatory responses along the lining, leading to compromised colonic functioning. It was also, interestingly, recently reported that certain gut bacteria are strongly associated with multiple sclerosis onset. A friend, who has MS, mentioned coincidentally that it has been suggested to him by his medical care team to to eat more probiotics. There does seem to be an increasing publicly-aimed focus on gut functioning and its associated inflammatory vulnerabilities.

Reuters is pretty good in its referencing. Probably the driest in its presentation of them all, I think. I follow that one, AP and also Al Jazeera for a non-Western viewpoint of world affairs. I've just added PBS and NPR, see what they are like. BBC is often put forth as unbiased , but has a corporate-wide view on things like feminism and racism, immigration etc and its reporters tend to use pro or judgemental language in subject spheres like those. Politically, it tends to echo the government of the day because they fund it through the public purse... it has to keep on the right side of them. Notable current examples of toeing the government line are Glastonbury and Israel news.

This is what happens when the Dunning-Kruger demographic get hold of the reins.

Yes. it is sad. It's a nice wood. I lived in part of an old Georgian rectory and all the doors and most of the structural wood was local elm.

Does this not mean the dieback-resistant phenotypes are the ones that are left and not that they've evolved i.e. mutations have since occurred? An existing phenotype has been selected by the environment to perpetuate. Or am I mincing words? Same idea with the small cod in exchemist's post. @CharonY

Yes. IIRC The Tesla system can't discriminate a life-size picture of the road ahead from the real one. It will drive through the picture. This because it doesn't use radar.

They should be tested in undisciplined places.

Yes, if one wanted to be compatible with evolution and have a religious belief on it, that would be the way to go.

Proper MAGA's, like MTG, are not happy. It has been said the mid-terms are not looking good now for them and I think this show's going to run for a good while. It just goes to show Trump is pure opportunist and not 'true MAGA'.

Well, one thing's for sure, we can't trust most Israelis in the telling of their history.

I wonder why? I'm being sarcastic. But that's another old chestnut we shouldn't go into here because there is many threads on it.

Ultimately, science works towards finding empirical evidence but uses hypotheses to postulate possible paths for research. The scientific method always leaves the gate open on any conclusions. It is the case that science knowingly never reaches its destination, but gets closer to realizing how nature behaves with each new discovery.

Never the twain can meet. Evolution and Creationism are diametrically opposed in the method that each way of thinking arrives at their respective conclusions. Such a discussion can only have an unhappy ending.

Are you a Creationist?