Fat Joe Felsenstein Choking on Common Design

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Well it is obvious that Joe Felsenstein has never worked in construction, nor designed anything that needed to be able to plug-n-play with something else.

Common design is observed throughout the design/ engineering world. Houses are built to design standards, ie building codes. Most houses will have a great deal in common, as in the framing will be the same- studs 16" apart on center. Cars also have a great deal in common with each other.

Another issue that we can dispose of quickly is the issue of common design, which was mentioned in the post by keiths. Common design does explain all the data. It proposes that the patterns that appear to be common descent are just there because that’s the way the Designer wanted the species to be. It certainly cannot be rejected by any evidence. It explains everything we see. Alas, it also explains everything we don’t see as well. It explains why elephants are large and gray and lumber across the plains, but it also explains why elephants are small, pink, and flit around singing as they pollinate flowers.

Which is an immediate clue to something. In old murder mysteries the detective was always looking for Motive, Means, and Opportunity. But if the designer is everywhere at all times, has infinite powers, and if her motives are imponderable, then we can’t predict whether she will make elephants big, gray lumbering herbivores or small, pink flying pollinators.

In short Common Design by an designer who is omnipresent, omnipotent, and inscrutable is not a scientific theory, period.
 

1- Common design does NOT explain all the data. It only explains the similarities

2- Common design would be rejected if we did not observe any similarities

3- Common design does NOT care about the designer's alleged powers

Again common design explains the similarities- why are cars so similar? Because they were designed using the same standards. Why are PC clones so similar? Designed using the same standards. IEEE, people- IEEE sets stands that must be adhered to. And when you have that then a common design follows, regardless of the designer.

Joe F, you are obvioulsy clueless about designing and engineering. Perhaps you should stick to what you are good at- eating.

So the bottom line is common design is something that we have plenty of experience with and when you need different designs to play together you have to employ some standards that will make it so. Standards ensure a common design.