Vision and Evolution (A Critique of Dawkins)

[Peebothuhlu]

Well, all I know about jellyfish is that they have what is called a neural net with no central nervous system. I wasn't aware they had eye clusters, although I imagine they had some kind of sensory input. So I'll have to take a closer look at what you're talking about.

The atrophy question is interesting because I don't generally have any issues with things atrophying or becoming vestigial, or losing their functions overtime. So if the reason why some fish have eyes and other don't is that those fish used to have eye but that function is now lost, then I have no quarrels there. Is that what you meant by atrophy?

Edit: Just saw you added more.

I'm generally not concerned with the timing. I'm more worried about whether or not something can happen, not how long it took to happen. But yes, I'm aware of the time.

As to making hard predictions I agree that it doesn't, or isn't able to. However, we're not predicting the future with these questions, we're uncovering a past that already happened. Those steps are already in whatever order they are.

Yes... Australian boxjellys have four eye clusters with which their motion is guided towards 'Prey'. Whether that's other fish... Or people swimming.

So... an eye system with out a brain attached.

You're wrong about predictions on one level, though.
On a broad brush scale you can make pedictions. Both backwards in time and looking off to other worlds/environments.
Looking back through geology hypothesis can be formed and fossils found to either falsify or bolster the hypothesis.
Hence finding Tiktaalik being a successful bolstering of the theory.

If there's a planet with liquid water (Or, technically any life bearing liquid) then you will have things that look like fish.
If the atmosphere is dense enough you'll have flying critters.

What those fish looking things willactually be? That we can't guess at, hence my comment about a crustacean shaped like an Orca.

Now.. about that critter which can discern things about its surroundings and react to such while not using the eyes that it has (Though it's still using its brain).

Cheers.

Not at work.