Would any of you drive a car made by Darwin's ideas?

[JesusHChrist]

Prof --

In the computer science field of artificial intelligence, a genetic algorithm (GA) is a search heuristic that mimics the process of natural selection. This heuristic (also sometimes called a metaheuristic) is routinely used to generate useful solutions to optimization and search problems.[1] Genetic algorithms belong to the larger class of evolutionary algorithms (EA), which generate solutions to optimization problems using techniques inspired by natural evolution, such as inheritance, mutation, selection, and crossover.
Genetic algorithms find application in bioinformatics, phylogenetics, computational science, engineering, economics, chemistry, manufacturing, mathematics, physics, pharmacometrics and other fields

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_algorithm

In artificial intelligence, an evolutionary algorithm (EA) is a subset of evolutionary computation, a generic population-based metaheuristic optimization algorithm. An EA uses mechanisms inspired by biological evolution, such as reproduction, mutation, recombination, and selection. Candidate solutions to the optimization problem play the role of individuals in a population, and the fitness function determines the quality of the solutions (see also loss function). Evolution of the population then takes place after the repeated application of the above operators. Artificial evolution (AE) describes a process involving individual evolutionary algorithms; EAs are individual components that participate in an AE.
Evolutionary algorithms often perform well approximating solutions to all types of problems because they ideally do not make any assumption about the underlying fitness landscape; this generality is shown by successes in fields as diverse as engineering, art, biology, economics, marketing, genetics, operations research, robotics, social sciences, physics, politics and chemistry[citation needed].
Techniques from evolutionary algorithms applied to the modeling of biological evolution are generally limited to explorations of microevolutionary processes. The computer simulations Tierra and Avida attempt to model macroevolutionary dynamics.
In most real applications of EAs, computational complexity is a prohibiting factor. In fact, this computational complexity is due to fitness function evaluation. Fitness approximation is one of the solutions to overcome this difficulty. However, seemingly simple EA can solve often complex problems; therefore, there may be no direct link between algorithm complexity and problem complexity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolutionary_algorithm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directed_evolution

Directed evolution is a method used in protein engineering that mimics the process of natural selection to evolve proteins or nucleic acids toward a user-defined goal.

and on and on.

Genetic processes are incredibly powerful problem solvers.

You need to get out more bud. "Darwinian" concepts are used throughout the modern technological world in many disciplines.

[Esquilax]

Ok, that should take care of professor's problem. What do we discuss next?

I predict the exact same thing as we just were, after the "professor" simply repeats the objection we've already quashed quite handily.

Prove me wrong, "professor." Prove me wrong.

[Alex K]

Ok, that should take care of professor's problem. What do we discuss next?

I predict the exact same thing as we just were, after the "professor" simply repeats the objection we've already quashed quite handily.

Prove me wrong, "professor." Prove me wrong.

A christian commenter dragging a dead horse in circles around the circus while the butchers watch? Say it ain't so! Say it ain't so!

[professor]

I now understand.
I should have promoted natural selection to the status of a god, making it's decisions on what it wants to keep and what it wants to throw out. Very good.
You have gotten rid of that pesky god you didn't like, and gotten a new one instead.
Well done.

[Simon Moon]

Machines, cars included, aren't biological, don't struggle for survival, don't die, don't reproduce.

These are the driving forces behind evolution. There is no goal, other than reproductive success and survival.

[Tonus]

I now understand.
I should have promoted natural selection to the status of a god, making it's decisions on what it wants to keep and what it wants to throw out. Very good.
You have gotten rid of that pesky god you didn't like, and gotten a new one instead.
Well done.

That is one of the standard theist responses when natural selection is explained, which is a case of doubling down on the initial misconception regarding the term. Natural selection is not an agent that is aware of what it is doing. It's like saying that the wind is god because it scatters flower petals in pleasing patterns in the air.

[Alex K]

I now understand.
I should have promoted natural selection to the status of a god, making it's decisions on what it wants to keep and what it wants to throw out. Very good.
You have gotten rid of that pesky god you didn't like, and gotten a new one instead.
Well done.

I think you still have a long way to go to understanding. But keep trying.

Best start by re-reading the comments on the last two pages, process them, understand why we think it refutes your claim, then check whether you find a loophole, and if you find that they do not, formulate your objection, and type it here:

[JuliaL]

I now understand.
I should have promoted natural selection to the status of a god, making it's decisions on what it wants to keep and what it wants to throw out. Very good.
You have gotten rid of that pesky god you didn't like, and gotten a new one instead.
Well done.

That would be one definition of a god, but not the usual one. Generally speaking gods are more anthropomorphized and have some sort of supernatural side. They are not defined as simply the environment itself. But whatever floats your boat. If you wish to define a god as anything anybody believes, you have pretty much destroyed atheism but not in a way anybody will pay attention to.

A man's got to believe in something.... I believe I'll have another drink. WC Fields (possibly Humphrey Bogart)

[Chad32]

I now understand.
I should have promoted natural selection to the status of a god, making it's decisions on what it wants to keep and what it wants to throw out. Very good.
You have gotten rid of that pesky god you didn't like, and gotten a new one instead.
Well done.

If you want to call natural selection a god, that's fine with me. That's about the same as saying the universe is god.

[Simon Moon]

You guys seem to have missed the foundation of Darwin's theory.
That RANDOM changes occured over time.
Random means "Chance" and chance is the opposite of choice.
Chance is having no intellegence added.
The development of all tech. is the result of applied intellegence.
Even the Pinto.
You can call development that we do "Evolution" but that is not what darwin proposed.

Wow!

Your understanding of evolution is astounding.

Or may be it is a straw man?

Let me think....