irreducible-complexity

HURDLE NUMBER 36. THE IRREDUCIBLE COMPLEXITY HURDLE.

Here is a quote from Richard Dawkins himself. (Dawkins has been called “The World’s Leading Atheist”, and is a vigorous proponent of Darwinism. He has been president of the Biological Sciences section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science.) The quote is from his book River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life, published by Phoenix, 1996, page 71:-

Dawkins define the term “Irreducible Complexity” as follows:- a “natural phenomenon (ie:- biological feature) (that) cannot have evolved by gradual stages, because the intermediate half-formed stages could not have been good for anything.”

(My comment:- That is as good a definition as any.)

The next quote comes from the book Our Earth and its Story, edited by Robert Brown, (no date, but circa 1890), page 198:-

“If organs had been produced, not in perfection but slowly, most of them must have been USELESS to the animal IN THEIR INCIPIENT STAGES (ie:- in the developing organ’s incipient stages), and yet natural selection can only preserve - - - those (features) which - - - are useful to the animal in the struggle for existence.” (My capitals.)

The next quote is from the book – No Free Lunch: Why Specified Complexity Cannot be Purchased Without Intelligence – by William Dembski (Dembski completed an undergraduate degree in psychology (1981, University of Illinois at Chicago) and master's degrees in statistics, mathematics, and philosophy (1983, University of Illinois at Chicago; 1985, University of Chicago; 1993, University of Illinois at Chicago, respectively), two PhDs, one in mathematics and one in philosophy (1988, University of Chicago; 1996, University of Illinois at Chicago, respectively)), published by Rowman and Littlefield, 2002, pages 249 to 251:-

“An irreducibly complex system cannot be produced - - - - by slight successive modifications of a precursor system, because any precursor to an irreducibly complex system that is missing a part is by definition non-functional. - - - - Since natural selection can only choose systems that are already working, then if a biological system cannot be produced gradually, it would have to arise as an integrated unit, in one fell swoop - - - - - One such irreducibly complex biochemical system - - - - is the bacterial flagellum - - - requires the coordinated interaction of about 30 proteins. - - - -Yet the absence of any one of these proteins would result in the complete loss of motor function - - - - Selection is non-teleological, so it cannot accumulate proteins, holding them in reserve until - - - - they are finally available to form a complete flagellum. - - - If the Darwinian mechanism is going to produce the flagellum, it will have to do so in one generation. But - - - - the Darwinian mechanism works by - - - small changes, not - - - sudden massive changes.”

My comment:- The Darwinian Hypothesis vigorously asserts that evolutionary changes are SMALL changes, tiny steps that gradually accumulate to form a perfectly adapted organism. On this basis, irreducibly complex systems cannot possibly evolve from simpler systems. In that case, Darwinian Evolution is incapable of producing many of the perfectly adapted organisms that we see around us. The next quote emphasizes this point.

The next quote is from Report of The 40^th Meeting of The British Association For The Advancement of Science, Held at Liverpool in 1870 – Transactions of The Sections pages 130 to 131. Article:- On The Theory of Natural Selection Looked At from a Mathematical Point of View, by Alfred W. Bennett, M.A., B.Sc., F.L.S.

The article discusses the phenomenon of mimicry in nature, where a species evolves to look very similar (ie:- to mimic) another species that (for whatever reason – perhaps because it is unpalatable) predators avoid. The author tells us that – “Two points admitted by all advocates of the principle of natural selection are that it always acts with extreme slowness, and that EVERY STEP MUST BE DIRECTLY OF ADVANTAGE TO THE SPECIES. - - - - - - - - The EARLIER STEPS in the transformation (ie:- towards the state of perfect mimicry of the “target” species) cannot have occurred through the operation of natural selection, because they must be ENTIRELY USELESS to the individual, and that the chances against the accumulation of a sufficient approximation towards the species ultimately mimicked - - - - - is something like ten millions to one.” (My capitals.)

The next quote is from the book - Ever Since Darwin, by Stephen Jay Gould (Professor of Zoology at Harvard University), published by Penguin Books, 1991, page 104:-

“Natural selection - - - - builds adaptation GRADUALLY THROUGH A SEQUENCE OF INTERMEDIATE STAGES, by bringing together in sequential fashion elements that seem to have meaning only as parts of the final product. But how can a series of reasonable intermediate forms be constructed? - - - - - - Darwin’s critics referred to this dilemma as THE PROBLEM OF ASSIGNING ADAPTIVE VALUE TO INCIPIENT STAGES OF USEFUL STRUCTURES.” (My capitals.)

The next quote is from the book – The Panda’s Thumb, by Stephen Jay Gould (Professor of Zoology at Harvard University), published by Penguin Books, 1990, page 37:-

“We may know what the - - - - - lure of the anglerfish are (is) for, but how did it arise? - - - - If the angler’s (ie:- the angler fishes) fishlike lure required 500 separate modifications to attain exquisite mimicry, then how did the process begin? And why did it continue, unless some NON-DARWINIAN FORCE, COGNIZANT OF THE FINAL GOAL drove it on. OF WHAT POSSIBLE BENEFIT IS ONE STEP ALONE?” (My capitals.)

The next quote is from the book Beyond Natural Selection by Robert Wesson, published by MIT Press, 1993, page 82:-

Wesson discusses The Bombadier Beetle “which makes a boiling hot defensive spray by the reaction of quinine and hydrogen peroxide with - - - - - enzymes - - - - - Hydroquinone and hydrogen peroxide - - - - - can be pumped into a reaction chamber containing enzymes - - - -The explosive reaction at 100 degrees centigrade forces the spray out through - - - - the beetle’s rear end (ie:- aimed at the predator).” Wesson then comments:- “The complex structures along with the instincts WOULD BE OF LITTLE VALUE UNLESS NEARLY COMPLETE.” (My capitals.)

The next quote is from the book – The Great Evolution Mystery by Gordon Rattray Taylor (Chief Science Advisor to BBC Television), published by Secker and Warburg, 1983, pages 113 to 114:-

The author quotes Professor Grasse (ie:- Professor Pierre P. Grasse of The Universite de Paris, Laboratoire d’Evolution des Etres Organises) “It is hard to see how natural selection could have presided unaided over such delicate fittings as - - - - the hinges of the bee’s wing - - - -WHICH HAVE TO BE PERFECT IF THEY ARE TO FUNCTION AT ALL.” The author then comments:- “Many of these modifications possess an all-or-nothing character.” The author then discusses the python’s jaw hinge. The author comments:- “This hinge was not of the slightest value until it formed and worked. HOW COULD IT HAVE APPEARED BY INFINITELY SMALL GRADATIONS?” (My capitals.)

HURDLE NUMBER 37. THE QUANTUM LEAP HURDLE.

This quote is from the book - Ever Since Darwin, by Stephen Jay Gould (Professor of Zoology at Harvard University), published by Penguin Books, 1991, page 104:-

“Natural selection - - - - builds adaptation GRADUALLY THROUGH A SEQUENCE OF INTERMEDIATE STAGES.” (My capitals.)

Here is a quote from the book A Devil’s Chaplain, by Richard Dawkins, published by Phoenix, 2004, page 100:-

“Adaptive evolution must in general be a CRAWL through genetic space, not a series of leaps.”

A further quote from the same book, pages 249 to 250:- Adaptive evolution must be gradual and cumulative - - - - There must be a ramp of step-by-step progress - - - - Darwin - - - - was - - - a staunch gradualist - - - All sane evolutionists must be gradualists - - - - The evolution of complex organs had to be gradual because all the correct changes would not occur in a single large mutation - - - - progressive over many many steps.”

My comment:- This above statements express the cornerstone of Darwinism. One animal is supposed to “evolve” into another animal by a series of many tiny steps. The idea that a huge quantum leap can occur SUDDENLY “evolving” an animal into some completely different animal is NOT a feature of The Darwinian Hypothesis. If such a huge quantum leap DID occur, resulting in a new organism perfectly adapted to its environment, it would be a miracle – contravening basic laws of probability. If a large number of RANDOM MUTATIONS just happened, purely by chance to all “fit together” and perfectly coincide with one another, creating a perfect organism, it would be defying truly astronomical statistical odds against chance occurrence. The problem is that there are many instances in nature where a HUGE QUANTUM LEAP is the only possible explanation for the arrival of a new species. Here are some quotes from authoritative sources that substantiate this above statement:-

The following quotes are from the book The Gastric Breeding Frog edited by Michael J. Tyler (Senior Lecturer in The Department of Zoology at The University of Adelaide), published by Croom Helm, 1983:-

The Gastric Breeding Frog (Rheobatrachus) swallows its fertilized eggs, converting its stomach to a uterus, and finally gives birth through its mouth.

The author comments as follows (Pages 129 to 130):- “In the case of Rheobatrachus it is inconceivable to contemplate a slow and progressive change in its reproductive biology leading to the present degree of behavioral, structural, and physiological complexity. For that to be the case would require the existence of less complex transitional stages in which the absolute degree of finesse had not yet been achieved. - - - - The elaborate nature if the changes are each vital to the survival of the ingested young; the habit is totally effective or it fails completely, hence EVOLUTION MUST HAVE PROGRESSED BY A SINGLE HUGE QUANTUM STEP. - - - - Success of the habit of gastric brooding requires SIMULTANEOUS MODIFICATION to the morphology, physiology, and behavior of the adult - - - as summarized in Table 10.2” (My capitals.)

This table (Table 10.2) is on page 132 of the book. This table lists the following required changes:-

“Modification of - - - the stomach to permit gross enlargement - - - ability to enlarge gape - - - during birth of young. - - - Ability to produce gross dilation of the oesophagus. - - - Inhibition of hydrochloric acid secretion and pepsin production - - -Atony of gut - - - Fasting for entire gestation period, and various other necessary modifications.”

My comment:- Neo-Darwinism does not “permit” “single huge quantum steps”, only small steps produced by beneficial random mutations, which are preferentially selected. In that case, The Gastric Brooding Frog cannot come into being by Darwinian evolution. The problem is that Darwinism has to properly account for ALL members of the biological kingdom, and not simply draw a veil over anomalies, and pretend that they do not exist. The Gastric Brooding Frog (and many similar examples) clearly came about by means OTHER THAN Darwinian evolution. This suggests that the whole of the Darwinian Hypothesis is ill-conceived, and scientifically implausible.

The next quote is from the book More Enigmas of Natural History, by E.L. Grant Watson, published by Cressett Press (circa 1930 – 1940), pages 36 to 37:-

The author discusses Tortoises and Turtles. “The limb girdle lies in all other reptiles - - - - - - between the ribs and the outer skin, In the tortoise - - - - - the limb girdles are - - - placed INSIDE THE RIBS - - - - - Tortoises have been evolved from some ancestral form - - - - then that ancestral form must have either had its limb girdles OUTSIDE ITS RIBS OR INSIDE. - - - - (To change from one state to the other) is impossible by any series of slow continuous variations.” The author then points out that for this “swapping” from outside to inside to occur as the result of a mutation would require a HUGE QUANTUM LEAP – “necessary changes in the muscles and all the interior organs.” The author then states that – “such a mutation may well be called a separate act of creation.”

The next quote is from the book Is Evolution a Myth? – A Debate Between Douglas Dewar, F.Z.S. and L. Merson Davies, D.Sc., Ph.D., and Professor J.B.S.Haldane. (J.B.S. Haldane was the Fullerian Professor of Physiology at the Royal Institution from 1930 to 1932 and in 1933 he became full Professor of Genetics at University College London, where he spent most of his academic career. Four years later he became the first Weldon Professor of Biometry at University College London.), Published by C. A. Watts/The Paternoster Press, London, 1949, Page 90:-

Haldane to Dewar:- “I agree with you that some (biological) processes, such as the evolution of the mammalian ear-bones, probably occurred by SUDDEN LEAPS.” (My capitals.)

The next quote is from the book – Hen’s Teeth and Horses Toes, by Stephen Jay Gould (Professor of Zoology at Harvard University), published by Penguin Books, reprint 1986, page 102:-

Gould discusses Cuvier’s opinions on evolution (Note:- Cuvier was one of the foremost 19^th century zoologists.):-

“If an animal’s parts are SO INTERDEPENDENT THAT EACH ONE IMPLIES THE EXACT FORM OF ALL THE OTHERS, then each change would require A TOTAL REMODELLING OF AN ENTIRE BODY, and what process can accomplish such a complete and harmonious change all at once?” (My capitals.)