Great Deceiverism 101
Jeff Hester Columns in Astronomy October 2017 and April 2018 issues
This is a response, based on the ideas presented on this site to this column and this column.
Jeff Hester, in his October 2017 and April 2018 columns is right about the “random march of entropy produces structure” as it does create atoms, molecules, suns, galaxies, weather, erosion, plate tectonics, etc. These are all examples of natural dynamic equilibriums and natural process. But machines and life are a different paradigm because they require embedded intelligence and are examples of intelligent equilibriums and processes. Based on the laws of physics we think we know, plus observation and logic, embedded intelligence can only exist by intelligent manipulation of matter/energy.
Life is an intelligent process. Each molecular machine in each cell is running a process that makes logical decisions and controls the use of energy. Natural causes are incapable of logical functionality and intelligent control of energy, and incapable of designing, building, setting initial conditions and starting any machine, let alone something as complex as life. Natural processes have no mechanism to create such entities even though these entities do not violate any laws of physics. Logical, not scientific constraints make it impossible for natural causes to create intelligent entities.
Dr. Hester, obviously you are not aware of the beyond belief complexity of life. I seriously doubt that mankind will ever be able to reverse engineer life to the level of understanding we engineers have of our machine creations. If natural causes can create life, they can easily create a simple machine, something simple like a mousetrap. Finding such a machine, or even an example of logic functionality caused by natural causes would falsify the concepts presented here. Read more about these ideas at https://cs21c.com/paper-on-the-limits-of-natural-causes/.
Mike Van Schoiack, Bellevue, WA