The question is - how do mutations arise?

Natural selection merely filters the mutations. I don’t think Spore’s “nature” or how it “selects” pertain to what Ted’s really talking about.

Ted, are you saying that the mutations are generally driven by the player? If so, then it’s certainly not random. And it sounds fun to try to design (intelligently — or otherwise!) an entire ecology.

The Bible clearly referred to the earth being spherical 1000’s of years prior to Christopher Columbus. Read it for yourself at Isaiah 40:22.

Which translation? Some say “circle” and some say “vault.” None say “sphere.”

And just in case you still think the earth is sitting on elephants… it is “hanging in space” as per the bible book of Job 26:7.

Well, [i]I’m[/i] pretty sure the Earth isn’t being carried by elephants. Anywho…

That chapter and verse doesn’t refer to “space,” rather it states that the earth is hung or suspended over ‘nothing.’

You are even fulfilling a prophecy in the Bible. Read it for yourselves at Romans 1:21-23:
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

I like that quote. Is God a male?

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, what does any of this have to do with the discussion at hand?

bfd

Those that did NOT believe in Creation/God/Bible were the ones that said the world was flat… The Bible clearly referred to the earth being spherical 1000’s of years prior to Christopher Columbus. Read it for yourself at Isaiah 40:22.

And just in case you still think the earth is sitting on elephants… it is “hanging in space” as per the bible book of Job 26:7.

You are even fulfilling a prophecy in the Bible. Read it for yourselves at Romans 1:21-23:
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Misinformation… hmm…

Ted, you’re taking it a little too seriously, dude.

Perhaps. But it is a serious matter for me.

Given all the misinformation about evolution out there, and considering the ongoing debates about what to teach or not to teach in our schools — I just wanted to make sure that Spore does not become a further source of evolution “misinformation.” As long as people understand the game’s limits, go ahead and have fun. That’s exactly what I am doing (currently at Level 19)!

It’s a little like getting kids interested in history by telling them about the amazing adventures of Abraham Lincoln freeing the women of Mars from Ghandi Kahn, Dinosaur King.

Not saying it’s not fun, but it’s about as educational as “The Flintstones”.

No one knows how we evolved.

Umm… yes we do.

I’m currently working on a film that shows how Chordates evolved from Pikaia to Homo Sapiens. We know many of the steps down to the Genus level and we’re close on a lot of the Species.

On a more fundamental level you are quite wrong. Evolution is a fact, period. To say anything else is as silly as insisting the world is flat because we can’t prove it is absolutely spherical. The mechanism of evolution, pure natural selection, punctuated equilibrium, or whatever is the subject of much debate. Personally, I think that some will be dominant in some situations and others in others. It even appears that a lot of simple blind luck was involved, for example why the group that lead to modern mammals survived the Permian catastrophe.

Do we know the name and address of every single creature that has lived on this planet since Eukaryotes appeared billions of years ago? No. Do we know enough to say evolution is a fact and other theories, divine intervention, creationism, or intelligent design, are just wrong and a waste of time? Without question. Is evolutionary theory itself evolving over time? Absolutely. That’s how science works; you test theories and those that fail are updated or discarded.

Oh and before you even respond, yes we have seen one species evolve into another.

Now as far as Spore; it really doesn’t bother me that it isn’t an accurate model of evolution. I don’t see it as marketing itself as an accurate evolution simulator. Darwin’s Dilemma and SimEarth weren’t either but they were fun.

Spore has enough problems as it is without taking on all the limitations that an accurate reflection of evolution would require. Not to mention that evolution is only one part of the game - there’s the whole tribal and civilization stages of the game that have nothing to do with how a civilization really emerges and develops. I’m not sure watching “Guns, Germs and Steel” play out on a computer screen would really draw that many $50 bills into EA’s coffers.

Nearly all you just said has changed now because of modern research…

It is true that not all evolution may occur through the mechanism of natural selection. Particularly in one-celled organisms, exceptions have been found to some of its principles. It is also true, of course, that details as to exactly how natural selection works continue to be modified as new evidence is discovered (as is true for any other area of scientific research).

That said, the basic mechanisms described in this article remain accurate across almost all species and have decades of evidence to support them. No “modern research” has overturned these principles. I stand by what I wrote.