Book Review of Evo Devo

[bob b]

A review of
Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo,
by Sean B. Carroll
W.W. Norton & Co., New York, 2005, 350p.

Review by Alex Williams

Conclusion

I highly recommend this excellent book, for many reasons:

• It is an easy to read introduction to crucial new discoveries in molecular biology.
• It announces a paradigm shift away from the banality of neoDarwinism.
• It purports to cover the major evolutionary developments of animal life including the
Cambrian Explosion—something no one else has ever done.
• The author knows what he is talking about, being an important contributor to the field.
• It is an excellent primer for creationists to practice ‘spot the fallacy’.
• It clearly shows how bias can blind us to what is staring us in the face.

 

[Johnny]

I was going to buy it a few weeks ago, but I bought "Finding Darwin's God" instead. In what way does in announce a shift from neodarwinism?

 

[bob b]

I was going to buy it a few weeks ago, but I bought "Finding Darwin's God" instead. In what way does in announce a shift from neodarwinism?

From the review:

Summary
Evo Devo (evolutionary developmental biology) is claimed to be the third great advance in evolutionary biology. While the ‘Devo’ (developmental biology) has indeed made stunning discoveries in recent years, the Evo (evolutionary speculation) part comes a poor second. The most stunning discovery is that the basic tool kit genes that determine all animal forms were already present at the beginning, so mutation has played no discernible role at all. This thoroughly refutes neo-Darwinism, and so Carroll has to rescue ‘Evo’ by asserting that mutation in gene switches is the key to evolution from one kind to another.

 

[sentientsynth]

Bob B,

When I read this, I thought of you.

In muscle cells, the intermediates in the citric acid cycle are almost exclusively used in the cyclic pathway of energy metabolism. In these cells, the metabolic machinery is mainly devoted to extracting energy from the glucose in the form of ATP.​

Rock on bro. Back to the books.



SS

 

[Jukia]

Bob B,

When I read this, I thought of you.

In muscle cells, the intermediates in the citric acid cycle are almost exclusively used in the cyclic pathway of energy metabolism. In these cells, the metabolic machinery is mainly devoted to extracting energy from the glucose in the form of ATP.​

Rock on bro. Back to the books.



SS

Michael Behe, in his testimony in Dover, attempted to use numerous quotes form papers that used the word "machine" when describing cellular systems and then jump to "See, we all know 'machines' are designed, therefore..."

 

[sentientsynth]

"See, we all know 'machines' are designed, therefore..."

...therefore...

• there is an unintelligent, naturalistic mechanism of producing "irreducible complexity."
• OR
• these 'machines' were designed by an intelligent agent.

Behe demands it must be the latter.

About his detractors, he says this:

Will persons with philosophical commitments against the supernatural be painted into a corner by the theory? No. The human imagination is too powerful....

Francis Crick also thinks that life on earth may have begun when aliens from another planet sent a rocket ship containing spores to seed the earth...

The primary reason Crick subscribes to this unorthodox view is that he judges the undirected origin of life to be a virtually insurmountable obstacle, but he wants a naturalistic explanation. ...

Darwin's Black Box, p. 248​

What he's saying, in other words, is that to reject his thesis requires a big imagination. He's right. And I've got one.



SS
Future Scientist

 

[Real Sorceror]

*chuckles* aliens..........Right, well, Ive always subscribed to the view that G-d created evolution and it's laws and set it into motion. (I dont believe in ID though) I just cant believe that little or no change has occurred in genetic makup since the beginning of life on this planet (young and old world)

 

[SUTG]

I was going to buy it a few weeks ago, but I bought "Finding Darwin's God" instead. In what way does in announce a shift from neodarwinism?

I read this a few years ago. It is pretty decent, but might be getting a little old now. You can also read some interesting Evolution/Dover trial stuff on his website.

Also interesting are the transcripts of the Dover trial. Michael Behe definitely lets loose with some whoppers during the trial.

BY MR. ROTHSCHILD:
Q Professor Behe, right before the break you said
that the findings accumulated over 140 years that support
the contention that Darwinian processes could explain
complex molecular systems total a number of zero, correct?
A I ll -- I think I did, yes.

Q Okay. And that s a proposition you stand by.

A Well, again, you have to look at the papers. And what I meant by that is ones which fully explain how random mutation and natural selection could build a complex system; yes, there are no such explanations.

Q Zero papers.

A I don t think I said zero papers, perhaps I did, but there are zero explanations.

Q And zero is the same number of articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals that argue for the intelligent design of complex molecular systems?

A The number of peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals which show that life is composed of molecular machinery that exhibits the purposeful arrangement of parts in detail on term, you know, many many many thousands. There are -- I think there are just one or two that mention intelligent design by name.

Q That argue for the intelligent design of complex molecular systems in peer-reviewed scientific journals?

A No, I don t think -- now that you mention it, I think that I was thinking of something else.

 

[bob b]

Well, I have finished reading Sean Carroll's book on Evo Devo and am stunned that he did not arrive at the obvious conclusion that life was designed.

I can only conclude that the "random mutation plus natural selection" concept is so enticing that it has the power to blind even intelligent people to the reality of God and His marvellous works.

 

[eisenreich]

Well, I have finished reading Sean Carroll's book on Evo Devo and am stunned that he did not arrive at the obvious conclusion that life was designed.

I can only conclude that the "random mutation plus natural selection" concept is so enticing that it has the power to blind even intelligent people to the reality of God and His marvellous works.

:chuckle:

After reading your comment, I've just placed an order for the book on amazon.

 

[bob b]

:chuckle:

After reading your comment, I've just placed an order for the book on amazon.

Good move. It has a lot of good material. Remember the conclusion by a creationist reviewer:

Conclusion

I highly recommend this excellent book, for many reasons:

• It is an easy to read introduction to crucial new discoveries in molecular biology.
• It announces a paradigm shift away from the banality of neoDarwinism.
• It purports to cover the major evolutionary developments of animal life including the
Cambrian Explosion—something no one else has ever done.
• The author knows what he is talking about, being an important contributor to the field.
• It is an excellent primer for creationists to practice ‘spot the fallacy’.
• It clearly shows how bias can blind us to what is staring us in the face.

------------

After reading about the cleverness of lifeform design, the conclusion of Intelligent Design is obvious.