What Are the Misconceptions About Evolution and Conditional Probability?

[NWH]

According to Ryan_m_b it is a "misconception of evolution" that I could have been created at any time throughout the universe's existence, as opposed to just now. I'd be curious to learn why this is a "misconception of evolution" and why it is a fallacy of my logic to think otherwise. I expect a full and detailed response because I want to ensure I don't run into any other well founded misconceptions in the future.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

The simplest answer is lineage. Life evolves by tiny random genetic changes which cause phenotypic changes that are non-randomly selected for by the environment. Every organism born is just a tiny bit different to its parent. It is not possible for you to have been born at any other time because you could only have been born to this species and more specifically, your parents. This is also true for your parents and so on and so forth back through time.

 

[Evo]

According to Ryan_m_b it is a "misconception of evolution" that I could have been created at any time throughout the universe's existence, as opposed to just now. I'd be curious to learn why this is a "misconception of evolution" and why it is a fallacy of my logic to think otherwise. I expect a full and detailed response because I want to ensure I don't run into any other well founded misconceptions in the future.

Here you go.

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=543950

Obviously we don't teach school courses here. After you learn about evolution, you can ask for clarification on specific items that you need clarification on.

I assume since this is biology and your question is evolution, you are suggesting that the entire human species could just randomly pop into existence at any time, not you personally, because that isn't evolution.

 

[Darwin123]

According to Ryan_m_b it is a "misconception of evolution" that I could have been created at any time throughout the universe's existence, as opposed to just now. I'd be curious to learn why this is a "misconception of evolution" and why it is a fallacy of my logic to think otherwise. I expect a full and detailed response because I want to ensure I don't run into any other well founded misconceptions in the future.

You and could have been created by evolution at any time and place when certain conditions were met. The conditions are not met at all times and places. They probably have been met at a lot of times and places. Most of these times and places are inaccessible to us now. Maybe there are no other times and places.

The probability of any species evolving is conditional. The probability of a species having evolved by a certain time at a certain place vary with the conditions at that place and time. Random does not mean free of conditions.

There is no scientific proof that there isn't a you or I at some other place and some other time in the universe. There is a possibility that there are other times and places with organisms indistinguishable from you and I. This possibility is unfalsifiable and currently unprovable.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

You and could have been created by evolution at any time and place when certain conditions were met. The conditions are not met at all times and places. They probably have been met at a lot of times and places. Most of these times and places are inaccessible to us now. Maybe there are no other times and places.

What makes you come to this conclusion given that life only evolves in increments?

The probability of any species evolving is conditional. The probability of a species having evolved by a certain time at a certain place vary with the conditions at that place and time. Random does not mean free of conditions.

The probability of a species evolving is conditional not only on environmental conditions but also on the species available to evolve from. This is the huge and pertinent issue here.

There is no scientific proof that there isn't a you or I at some other place and some other time in the universe. There is a possibility that there are other times and places with organisms indistinguishable from you and I. This possibility is unfalsifiable and currently unprovable.

Indeed and thus we don't need to entertain it. Let's drop this off-topic thread.