Quote:Original post by Nathan Baum

Quote:Original post by uckevin111

Quote:Original post by coderx75
but it is showing that living creatures mutate to conform to their environment.

Actually, based on evolution theory, this is incorrect. The mutations are random; the species does not control the mutation to conform to an environment. A mutation can be good, bad, or neutral. But never does a species mutate to conform, they are all random occurrences.
- Kevin

Coderx75 almost certainly doesn't mean that a species will knowingly and purposefully mutate itself to better fit its environment.

This is a common misconception, so he might mean it this way... or at least, others might.

Quote:Original post by Nathan Baum
What he most likely means is that a species will select those mutations that produce fitter offspring, and so over time a species will increasingly conform to its environment, via (amongst other methods) mutation. Which, based on evolution theory, is correct.

Although it was expressed as though the mutations are controlled and purposeful, it's quite common to talk that way about objects that have no sense of purpose. We say that unsupported objects "want" to fall to the ground, that electrons "want" to occupy the lowest possible energy state, or that computers "want" to lose hours of your work without warning.

Nowhere did he use the word "want". He said "it is showing that living creatures mutate to conform to their environment," which is wrong. He might have meant it in a different, correct way, but his wording here is incorrect and would be misleading to those who either 1)don't know any better (as this is a common misconception) and 2)would argue against evolution because of this wording.

On a side note, in all of my science classes I never have heard, or used, the word "want" with these actions. I would say that unsupported objects "will" fall to the ground, that electrons "will" occupy the lowest possible energy state. Or even without the "will", unsupported objects fall to the ground. Being even more technical, the objects actually don't "want" to fall to the ground at all, they "want" to stay where they are (Newton's first law) but when acted on by a force, I'm assuming gravity here, they would be forced to the ground. :)

- Kevin