While researching STDs in Nairobi, a doctor/scientist made the startling discovery that a small number of prostitutes appeared immune to HIV.
They discovered that their blood and vaginal fluid contained anti-bodies which would attack and destroy HIV. At first they thought this may be a case of exposure leading to immunity (natural vaccination). But they soon learned the immune prostitutes were related, which lead them to research a family. It turns out the family itself was pretty much immune to the horrific casualty rate other nairobians are suffering due to HIV.
This suggested that a mutation occured in one of their family ancestor's immune system, giving that person (and most descendants) a much more aggressive immune system than the rest of us lowly humans and an immunity to HIV.
What they are learning is that their "new" immune system works different than ours in that the cell which gets invaded by HIV (and as it turns out any other invader) sends a "description" of the binding site to the immune system, so that anti-bodies may be created "keyed" for that new invader. Thus instead of the slow hit and miss systems most humans have, each of their cells are "spies" which sacrifice themselves to give them the blueprints of victory over infection.
Thankfully we may get to use those blueprints to create vaccines for the rest of us. And as this family intermingles with others (and at this point it is already quite large), this new immune system may become common to many humans.
Once again, we see change occuring in an evolutionary "pattern" as a mutation in one family has incidentally made it tougher, not weaker, and is being selected for survival due to natural events.
At no time were investigators aided by ID theory. In fact, if Behe's work on the immune system was followed (search for why the prostitutes gained immunity to determine who created that immunity) we would likely not be as far as we are today.
I might add work would certainly have been hindered by the morality wrapped up with ID. After all the only end purpose which could be shown is for the creation of a group of super-prostitutes who sire more super-prostitute children from their illegitimate (and unprotected) sexual encounters.
Or will ID now bring in the idea that the devil has his own designs? It appears in this case the devil may be in the details.
Any ID theorist out there want to show what fruit ID would have offered us in this whole scenario over its evo counterpart? Please also address specified complexity, and Behe's notions that immune systems could not have evolved to their current state of complexity.
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holmes