Comment by squeefers
5 hours ago
great, but we still cannot say anything beyond "what survives, survives". fitness is a central concept to natural selection and ultimately evolution, but it seems to bother nobody that its an empty concept, a tautology. its a nice observation but doesnt actually explain anything, and I expect science to explain the world.
Saying "what survives, survives" may bother the Discovery Institute and Intelligent Design pushers, but not actual scientists who don't have an agenda to discredit evolution as revenge because it discredits their religious dogma.
Saying "what survives, survives" is like saying physics explains motion as "things that move, move." That’s not what the theory actually claims; it’s a caricature.
Evolutionary theory explains mechanisms, not slogans. "Fitness" is not the explanation, it’s a measurable consequence of those mechanisms.
If you want teleology or ultimate purpose, science won’t give you that, so take some shrooms and ask the machine elves. But evolution absolutely explains how structured complexity accumulates without foresight, and it does so with predictive, testable models.
Please inoculate yourself from believing and parroting anti-science Intelligent Design bullshit by reading up on the Discovery Institute, an evangelical propaganda mill whose intentionally deceptive campaign to discredit evolution continues to this day, and their "Teach the Contravery" campaign to get Intelligent Design taught in schools, that laid the groundwork for Project 2025.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_Institute
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teach_the_Controversy
Exposing Discovery Institute Part 1: Casey Luskin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRxq1Vrf_Js
>Have you heard of the Discovery Institute? Have you fallen under the impression that they know what they are talking about, or can be considered an even remotely legitimate source of information? Well, you've come to right place. They aren't. They're a propaganda mill, and all of their content is full of lies. They hide behind a paper-thin roster of scientists who have deluded themselves into dishonestly preaching outside of their expertise, and they blatantly misrepresent any scientific research or scientists they are referring to. Constantly. Sometimes they even commit slander. That's what this video is about, and it is the first installment in a series where I will expose the fraudulent activity of all the major contributors at the Discovery Institute, one clown at a time. Part 1 addresses Casey Luskin, and it is centered around some very serious slander he committed against an esteemed anthropologist. But don't worry, I cover lots of other lies and stupidity that come out of his mouth as well. If you're a fan of the DI, do please find the courage to watch this rather than running to the comments section to yell at me. It's not all that long, and I promise that I make it extremely clear and undeniable that Casey is a liar. If you have a shred of honesty within you, you will quickly see that this is the case. Enjoy!
Science helps figure out “how”. If you want it to help you figure out “why” (beyond a probabilistic or mechanical model), you will be disappointed.