Developers + Intelligent Design?

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eNTi
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Developers + Intelligent Design?

#1 Post by eNTi »

hi. i've stumbled upon this phrase while trying out the game and browsing through the research tree:
Algorithmic Elegance
...due to limitations of irreducible complexity. ...
now i'm wondering if this is a joke, a honest misunderstanding on my part, or signs of intelligent design advocates?

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pd
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Re: Developers + Intelligent Design?

#2 Post by pd »

How is this connected to "intelligent design"? I don't get it. If there is indeed a connection, I hardly doubt it was Geoff's intention.

eNTi
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Re: Developers + Intelligent Design?

#3 Post by eNTi »

intelligent design (which has a very strong lobby in the us and thus gains lots of "followers" atm) strongly relies on the principle off "irreducible complexity".

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

maybe i'm just totally wrong here. it's just a very "striking" phrase for me and placing religious believe principles in a game that to some degree promotes our future is somewhat questionable in my opinion.

M4lV
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Re: Developers + Intelligent Design?

#4 Post by M4lV »

omg, drink a cup of tea and relax man ;). You know the number 88 is used by stupid morons as an abbreviation for the hitler greeting. Now you see this number everywhere, even in this game. Isn't that disturbing too? :lol:

Irreducibility is a mathematical term used in (linear) algebra a lot. I strongly guess the word was composed out of that direction since basic maths are part of every computer scientist's tuition...

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pd
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Re: Developers + Intelligent Design?

#5 Post by pd »

You are right, I wouldn't want to have any connection to creationist's beliefs either, especially in a science fiction game. I don't know if Geoff is still around. If he's not, he surely will clear this up, once he's back.

In our case however the principle isn't used in a biological context, does this make a difference?

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eleazar
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Re: Developers + Intelligent Design?

#6 Post by eleazar »

eNTi wrote:now i'm wondering if this is a joke, a honest misunderstanding on my part, or signs of intelligent design advocates?
No, it's a sign that you ignored the context.
This technology and it's techno-babble description has nothing to do with origins.

This game is not intended to endorse a particular world view, but neither do we believe "religious" ideas are so noxious that they should not even be mentioned as something that some people believe.


We also have Singularity of Transcendence:
What is godhood? Is a god concerned with whether it is moral and benevolent or evil and tyrannical? Does a god treat mortals with care and love, hatred and suffering or detached indifference? Does a god even remain aware of the infintitely miniscule affairs of the physical universe, or is true godhood of a form beyond description, of which inability to comprehend by mortals applies equally in the other direction?
And this description of Gaian Planets:
Gaia worlds are, despite the name, not exclusively paradise for Terran dwellers. They are sentient planets designed by long-forgotten ancient creators to reshape themselves to the whims of their inhabitants. Exceedingly rare, extremely valuable-- some cultures worship Gaian planets as gods.

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Re: Developers + Intelligent Design?

#7 Post by eNTi »

:)

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Geoff the Medio
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Re: Developers + Intelligent Design?

#8 Post by Geoff the Medio »

If you look at the page you've linked there, you'll perhaps note that the very top of it is a link to another meaning / context of the term. You might also infer this from the tech being described, which is not "Theory of Creation" or "Theory of Evolution" or anything related.

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Robbie.Price
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Re: Developers + Intelligent Design?

#9 Post by Robbie.Price »

Goodmorning all,

The term is also a very old math term, for any self-referential system where the outcome is so tightly determined by initial conditions that no predictions can be meaningfully made beyond a certain limit of time.

The term originated in the study of chaos in mathematics, and only later was borrowed/(abused?) by the followers of ID.

Just a thought.

Best wishes all,

Robbie Price

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