Hypography Science Forums: gubba - Viewing Profile - Hypography Science Forums

g'day Bio,

2) how to get the best outcome for kids that do not have parents that make good desicions for their kids (I have no solution to this one)

Neither does anyone else, especially me, but for the western democracies where compulsory education is a sacred cow on a par with motherhood, no motherhood's increasingly just an option these days, perhaps it's an issue that can no longer be left in the political too hard basket. cheers gub.

g'day Bio,

Where do you find the time? Thanks for your 101 thread, a good primer for many of us besides me I suspect. I shall read up when I get a chance. (sigh!). Would you mind defining the bio 101 or an even more exact definition of Mutation for me in the meantime? My Collins version does not explain the use you put it to, it's way too vague? What exactly is the process of the genetic change you are arguing for? Are you saying that the gene is precoded to respond to a new stimulus to rework its program to form a preconceived result? (Pardon my simplicity I'm just trying to get at the central thrust of your position).

If I've finally half caught on to your concerns I'm beginning to understand Buffy's response (actually my head's spinning a bit and it ain't the apple brandy last night! I didn't have any). Putting your bang aside for a moment (whew), the essence of your disagreement with mainstream gradualism would be it fails to address the issues involved with it's simplistic non descriptive assertions and its modelling appears to be at variance with the fossil record. Sigh, quite probable, judging on our past behaviour, more on that in another thread. cheers gub.

G'day folks,

54 years young and my kids are totally embarassed by their dad but they still can't control me. Have to second the old fella from Ohio though, you kids on this forum are a credit to yourselves. I wish you all the best in your lives before you. cheers gub.

ps. as some of you may know I'll be trying to come to terms with maths soon and we all know that young brains are the best so I'll need all the help I can get!

G'day folks,

I just lost my entire post bar the last few words, yet again! You'd think even an old geezer would become proficient in the end! Oh well, Too bad.

Buffy I'm afraid you'll have to put up with me on your side. I can't help emphasising the critical importance of your appreciation of the length of time and number of generations involved when considering evolution. When talking of species we're dealing genetically with god knows how many powers of magnitude of readings of the four letter code. Your neat little - cop going nope, nope,... - example passes Ockham's for me. By the way anyone know any solid, recent update on PE especially in reference to that so called fossil record.

Bio and bumab, I'm a bit bemused with your difficulty re viable mutations. Are you saying new species equals new proteins? I've been led to believe this isn't at all essential, just variations in the usage of protains etc. will ensure vast change. Bio, would you care to estimate the order of magnitude of the readings of our genetic code that makes up our lives, elsewhere I've already owned up to my arithmetical failings. It is this reading of our codes that helps us to self-repair as you have noted but this ability enables adaptation as well as species statis surely?

Perhaps it pertinent at this point to restress the role of natural selection or, if you prefer, the environment in ordering speciation. I view current species as current viable possibilities, we are all potentialities responding, interacting with the world other than us. Stable environment, stable species, varying conditions diferentiation within species etc. The range of variation within species can be considerable, surely ideally placed to try out any new niche that may open? The proponents of gradualism I respect never claim some form of smooth, steady pace of incremental change.

Bio, re. your theory and my simple question in my last post. I'm bemused that you're not happy with the second prokaryote as our ancestor. After all doesn't 3 odd billion years of how many generations of single celled existence create the opportunity for the incredible genetic complexity that took multu-cellular life with such gusto? cheers gub.

g'day folks,

Fish : what, in your view, are the strengths and weaknesses of education in Texas as against your preferred ideal?

Bio: wonder what you feel is relevant in the following?

Parameters for public education, in no particular order except, perhaps, the first.
a. determine who is responsible for establishing the principles and running the system
b. ensuring a functional next generation
c. enhancing an individual's development, (Irish Eyes' dream)
d.trying to ensure a suitable minimum general knowledge and cultural understanding in the interests of social cohesion. The cynics might say in the interests of the elite etc.etc.

Some issues that need addressing:
1. Whatever the system, teacher morale.
2. Set pragmatic goals that stand a chance of being achieved.
3. Ensure variety of both goals and methods of delivery as our history shows the "one size fits all" definition of rationality is oxymoronic.

That'll do for starters, perhaps some of the above may help frame some of the discussion,then again perhaps it won't. More than a little interested in some of our continental friends' take on this issue and what about the situation in Japan Jerry? Downunder, we keep hearing about educational related suicides at the end of secondary schooling. cheers gub.