Jan 10, 2020

Evolution is cleverer than you are


As a tool for further discussing the question "Is the economy fair to women," let me remind everyone who knows Orgel's Second Rule about the rule. And if you haven't heard Orgel's Second Rule, you're missing out on a bit of brilliance.

Here's the rule:

> ## "Evolution is cleverer than you are."


## Leslie Orgel

[Leslie Eleazar Orgel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Orgel) FRS(12 January 1927 – 27 October 2007) was a British chemist. He is known for his theories on the origin of life and is semi-famous for his second rule, popularized by his legit-famous colleague [Francis Crick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Crick).

This Wikipedia article: [Orgel's rules](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orgel%27s_rules) describes Orgel's second rule this way:

>people who say "evolution can't do this" or "evolution can't do that" are merely lacking in imagination.

This is a variant of the refutation of the fallacy in the [Argument from incredulity](https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Argument_from_incredulity)

>The fallacy lies in the unstated premise. If a state of affairs is impossible to imagine, it doesn't follow that it is false; it may only mean that imagination is limited. Moreover, if no one has yet managed to imagine how a state of affairs is possible, it doesn't follow that no one will ever be able to.

Creationists or Intelligent Design advocates often use this argument to explain why evolution is wrong. But even people who believe in evolution argue from incredulity when they describe something as "unnatural."

Everything is natural.

The big bang was a natural phenomenon that produced this planet on which primitive life appeared. Live evolved, a natural phenomenon, to produce all species, including humans. Human culture had a natural origin and evolved to produce all human artifacts and institutions.

There's nothing in reality that didn't arise naturally.

And if you can't figure out how something like capitalism or communism could have a natural origin, evolved you haven't absorbed Orgel's Rule.

## Why is evolution cleverer than you?

Because:

* evolution brought you into existence, and you didn't bring evolution into existence.

* evolution figured out how to synthesize proteins, and even if you know the theory (you probably don't), you probably can't do it.

* evolution keeps the entire biosphere operating without paying any attention, and you can't
*
If you're considering solving a practical problem, see if nature has already solved it.

For example: if you want to know whether men or more valuable than women, you might examine how nature has already solved the problem.

You might be able to adapt nature's solution, or at least understand why it's a good one. But it's an excellent place to start.


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