jriccitelli wrote:
I believe biological systems ‘appear’ to have a slight ability to engineer for themselves productive improvements, but it makes no sense to think that they are ‘thoughtfully producing a thought’ that says “I must do something within my atomic structure in order to survive”. Or, “I must develop and produce something of ‘my own’ biological composition that improves or allows my survival.
Jriccitelli, it seems that maybe you also didn't see the animation I posted. Its only a few minutes long. I would love to hear your comments on it.
About the point you make above, yes, you are correct, living creatures do not tell their bodies to change. Evolution is mainly powered by descent with modification, guided by natural selection.
You mention that this process would be degenerative because there are more negative mutations than positive ones. You are partially correct. There are indeed many more was to be injured than to be improved upon. Negative mutations however, get weeded out through death.
I read that one study on humans found that 3 out of 4 pregnancies end before the mother even knows she's pregnant. Many of these deaths are due to negative mutations. Natural selection is what filters mutations, only letting neutral and positive ones continue to the next generation. Natural selection is what stops mutations from being degenerative.