From: Kent Crispin <kent@songbird.com>
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 00:30:38 +0800
To: Cypherpunks Distributed Remailer <cypherpunks@ssz.com>
Subject: Re: lack of evolutionary pressures
In-Reply-To: <199708231347.IAA24308@einstein.ssz.com>
Message-ID: <19970826091948.12144@bywater.songbird.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



On Sat, Aug 23, 1997 at 08:47:03AM -0500, Jim Choate wrote:
> Forwarded message:
> 
> > Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 22:42:34 -0700
> > From: Kent Crispin <kent@songbird.com>
> > Subject: Re: lack of evolutionary pressures (was Re: An end to "court appointed attorneys")
> 
> > The evolutionary definition of "competent" is "propagate your genetic 
> > material".  A rough corollary is that those who raise the most children 
> > to child-bearing age are the most competent.
> 
> With all due respect, bullshit. Fecundity is in no way related to long-term
> survival as detailed in the various theories of Neo-Darwinian evolution or
> in actual studies. 

Note that I didn't say "fecundity".  And note also that I said "rough
corollary".  Furthermore, it is simply false to state that "fecundity
is in no way related etc etc".  A dominant gene that causes a fecundity of
zero, for example, will not propagate.

[...]

> Also note that Mayr has a new book out (about a year old I believe) that
> covers some of the most recent changes of the punctuated-equilibria and
> neo-darminian camps.

Thanks -- I will look into it.  I know of Dr Mayr's work from other 
sources, but I didn't know he had a new book out.

-- 
Kent Crispin				"No reason to get excited",
kent@songbird.com			the thief he kindly spoke...
PGP fingerprint:   B1 8B 72 ED 55 21 5E 44  61 F4 58 0F 72 10 65 55
http://songbird.com/kent/pgp_key.html