(January 19, 2017 at 6:02 pm)Pulse Wrote: Dawkins himself, in a Youtube video called Richard Dawkins stumped by creationists' question, simply cannot give one example of a mutation adding new information to the Genome.
Most probably edited to make it look like that then. I write genetic algorithms which are useful applications of the theory of evolution. If the theory was wrong the algorithms wouldn't work. They do work.
When writing a GA, you have to bear in mind that mutation adds variety to a genotype (i.e. new information), crossover decreases it. Setting the mutation rate is a careful balancing act. Set it too high and you find a good solution quickly but are less able to find an optimal one. Even if you find the global maxima on the fitness landscape it will be less chance to reach the top. Set it too low and the run takes longer but you are able to find a better solution, but you may also get stuck on a local maxima.
I actually devised my own evolutionary algorithm on these very principle and have been using it extensively for almost 20 years.
There are thousands of papers about genetic algorithms over many years learnt from practice. The theory is sound. The practice is useful.
