Information Theory and Creationism
by Ian Musgrave, Rich Baldwin, and
others
Copyright © 2005
[Posted: July 14, 2005]
Other Links:
- A
Mathematical Theory of Communication
- The 1948 paper that founded Information Theory, by
mathematician
Claude E. Shannon of Bell Labs.
-
A Short Course in Information Theory
- A series of lectures by David MacKay
explaining Information Theory. MacKay has also published an
on-line text, Information
Theory, Inference, and Learning Algorithms
- Molecular Information Theory
and the Theory of Molecular Machines
- A web site explaining the application of Information Theory
to biology, by biologist Tom
Schneider of the Molecular Information Theory Group at the
National Institutes of Health
- Biological
Information Theory and Chowder Society
- FAQ page for the bionet.info-theory newsgroup
- G J Chaitin Home Page
- The home page of one of Algorithmic Information Theory's
inventors, Gregory Chaitin. Many of his papers are available
here
- Kolmogorov Complexity and
Solomonoff Induction
- A web site with numerous references and links (some expired)
on the ideas of Kolmogorov and Solomonoff.
- The Evolution of Improved
Fitness
- An Talk Origins FAQ by Edward E. Max explaining how evidence
from molecular genetics provides evidence for evolution
- Information
Theory Questions and Answers
- The Creationist Answers in Genesis FAQ on Information
Theory
-
Information, Science and Biology
- An article by information scientist and creationist Werner
Gitt, author of "In the Beginning was Information", arguing
that information in living systems must have been created by
Jesus Christ.
- A Scientific Critique of
Evolution
- An article by biophysicist, information theorist and
creationist Lee M. Spetner, author of "Not by Chance",
criticizing the Talk Origins FAQ by Dr. Max
- Intelligent
Design as a Theory of Information
- An article by mathemetician and philosopher William Dembski,
author of several books on Intelligent Design.
[画像:R]ecently Creationists, and
particularly Intelligent Design advocates, have taken to arguing
that information in the genome is evidence for special creation
by an intelligent designer (generally assumed to be God), and
against evolution. A common Creationist tactic is to ask: "do
evolutionists have any examples of mutations or evolutionary
processes which have led to an increase in genetic information?"
But do they really know what they are talking about?
It is easy to make false, scientific-sounding claims when
discussing complex ideas such as Information Theory. Readers
should be suspicious of any writing on the subject that:
- Claims to provide a measure for meaning;
- Claims to be based on both Classical (Shannon) and
Algorithmic (Chaitin-Kolmogorov) Information Theory (or
neither);
- Claims to distinguish between random and non-random
data;
- Proposes new theorems, principles, or laws without thoroughly
demonstrating their validity;
- Infers causality from correlation;
- Makes unsubstantiated claims about the probability of an
event; or
- Otherwise lacks mathematical rigor.
This series of articles provides a brief
overview of Classical Information
Theory, Algorithmic Information
Theory, and current Creationist arguments about information
theory by Gitt, Spetner, and Dembski. Problems with the various Creationist
arguments are explained. The complete mathematical background for
Classical and Algorithmic Information Theory is not provided
here; it is quite detailed and on-line references are provided
for those who want to read more.
