[thechat] Evolution and complexity was:Re: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

Chris Marsh chris at webbtech.co.uk
Fri Aug 23 12:42:01 CDT 2002


> > It irks me to no end when people speak of evolution as if it's some
> > kind of ladder to climb, as if more recently complex "evolved"
> > creatures (such as a human) are somehow inherently "superior" to
> > longer-surviving simpler creatures (such as a worm).
>
> I would argue that evolution is a ladder to climb, although
> its a ladder that is being constructed as its being climbed.

I would view it more as a rock face. Creatures that evolve gain the
ability to see further and further straight up. They also gain the
ability to climb, but only by traversing the rock face laterally in
order to find handholds with which to pull them up. This indicates to me
that the further evolved a creature is, the more frustrated and unhappy
it is.

[..]

Regards

Chris Marsh





More information about the thechat mailing list