How did Evolution produce Symmetry?

Hello. I am new here, but I'm no "newbie". So make no assumptions about me. That said, I would like to preface my comments by stating that a couple people in this thread are arrogance personified, and also delusional about that fact. I think it's obvious who those people are.What puzzles me is why the concept of Information Theory has not been addressed regarding the "puzzle" of symmetry. It seems painfully obvious to me that one HUGE advantage to symmetry is a decrease in the information necessary to "describe" any highly symmetric entity. While this affects matter both animate and inanimate, it is far more critical to the former. Perhaps amounting to less than a 50% decrease in some life forms, perhaps more than a 50% decrease in others, these "savings" must have an immense impact on the "lifetime" energy consumption of said life forms. Don't underestimate the potential requirements of DNA replication.For those so inclined to accept "open-minded" theorization, I highly suggest Dan Winter's website and specifically his works on recursion. If someone wants to waste their time "debunking" Dan Winter, by all means waste your time.http://www.soulinvitation.com/predictions/index.htmlI know that other people in this discussion will greatly appreciate the angle that I am introducing. Consider the real costs of DNA as the number of genes increase. The "description" that begets a human being has been highly refined over time, regardless of one's preferred theory to explain said refinement. It seems quite logical to assume that life is the synergy of complication and simplification.I will enjoy responding to any commentary, though I don't promise everyone a response.[This message has been edited by Human Being, 12-14-2003]

Thank you Ned. I apologize to all for the preemptive rebuttal regarding Dan Winter. My desire to avoid a negative tangent arising from his inclusion in my point inspired the tactic. I also wanted to stress how important I feel recursion is towards life. Recursion is the foundation of both self-similarity and symmetry, and the golden ratio can be seen as a tautology resulting from the manifestation of existence that is life. I am speaking as a layman here, but I suspect that there are "meta-genes" within our DNA which describe aspects of human life that we have no awareness of. Our knowledge of our own form of life, while seemingly vast, is more likely quite sparse. I do concede I am making an assumption that "symmetry savings" have great relevance towards survival. I am much more comfortable with this assumption than other assumptions I'm reading about in this thread. I firmly believe that "DNA management" IS a survival feature. DNA replication is fundamental to life. Thus, it seems intuitive to me that optimization of this aspect of the life cycle is critical to life's continued advancement. And life has been advancing for billions of years. Indeed, while symmetry strikes me as vastly helpful, of course it does not preclude asymmetry.My last point seems like a restatement of others' previously made points. Provided that symmetry does result in the savings I theorize, it is equally intuitive that life forms who directly choose mates based on fitness indicators would see symmetry increasingly favorably. Such a life form "understands" on an "instinctual" level that symmetry is a boon to fitness and advantageous to enhance within one's offspring.------------------
HB=CHIMP+TIME

I am the first in this thread to suggest Information Theory as a crucial piece of the symmetry puzzle. I don't want a cookie, but I do want people to consider the crux of my thoughts a bit more than you have. Some of your responses to what I said come off as general-purpose debunkery. That's okay. My conjecture is clearly making you think, albeit in a "Devil's Advocate" way.Of course if I wanted to spend hours and hours, I could compose a much more thorough post regarding my speculation. My intent, however, was only to introduce myself and a few brief points. I posted because I felt an important part of the discussion was being overlooked. I will leave all with my food for thought. I hope others do more than chew once and spit it out. Perhaps later I will make dessert.------------------
HB=CHIMP+TIME

How would flatfish "champions" reconcile their favored species' evolutionary path of asymmetry with that of Information Theory? Your positions on other points have been established. Does I.T. preclude their asymmetry? If so, explain how. Tell me, what do *you* think??------------------
HB=CHIMP+TIME

Cancer is, in my opinion, a self-regulatory process of life. When cells begin to function erroneously, this can be an indication of a lack of fitness. Outside influences can be at play, but so can heredity. Life chooses to preserve resources altruistically, and one way is by "cellular suicide". Granted, cancer can and should be dealt with if possible. Many people live wonderful lives after successful battles with cancer. But some that do, produce offspring with the same potential obstacles. Sometimes, cancer either isn't found in time, or is simply overpowering to the body. The result is that less fit individuals are disadvantaged reproductively - through heredity and early death. Exactly how this plays into symmetry I cannot say, but I do openly suggest that the functionality cancer exhibits might be due to some of those genes human beings don't understand yet.PS- ChildOfGod, I am sorry on behalf of the human being who keeps ridiculing your name. I guess that is part of the definition of "debunk" though. How one can think others take their opinions seriously with attitudes like that, I don't know.[This message has been edited by Human Being, 12-15-2003]