Hold the salad

Via Red State Rabble I learn of an article in the Harvard Crimson that, as RSR states, contains an interesting insight into the mind of the intelligent designer, with respect to rabbits’ digestive systems:

The animals can absorb the nutrients from plant matter only in the small intestine, but food is digested in a part of the gut that’s farther downstream.” So how do plant nutrients finally get into the rabbit’s bloodstream having already passed through the small intestine undigested?

“They secrete these things through their anus, eat them,” and pass them back through the small intestine, Hanken explains.

And then he adds, “Now you tell me, where’s the intelligence in that design?”

Works in mysterious ways indeed!

Thanks Doc, but I’ll stick to my carrot

Comments

[gymwould]

It seems that it may not be 'intelligence' that is involved with designing, rather as evol-theory says it more probably is indeed adaptability. But, what causes adaptability?

As a critical thinker myself I ask that question and obviousness jumped into view. At this time I am seeking open minded quantum theorists to examine what I saw.

The basics are explained at my blog URL.
http://d5theory.blogstream.com

[The Rev. Schmitt.]

But, what causes adaptability?

Variability + limited resources + competition + mutation, duplication/copying errors, horizontal gene transfer, etc.

-The Rev. Schmitt.

[MBains]

“They secrete these things through their anus, eat them,” and pass them back through the small intestine, Hanken explains.

Whoa! I guess that's a case of "eat shit OR die!"

Thanks. i think...

[gymwould]

In order for rabbits to eat their own shit, shit must have a different 'meaning' to them than it does to most humans. To survive people will sometimes eat anything. That phenomenon could be considered rational, even intelligent... however since life on this planet is doomed to some level of suffering the most rational behavior might be suicide as soon as possible. It all depends upon 'meaning'.

[BronzeDog]

Judging from your website, gym, I doubt any explanations of mine will get through to you, but I'll try anyway:

Null hypothesis for you to falsify: Nothing in the process depends on "meaning".

Of course, you'll have to define "meaning" before you start.

[gymwould]

In this context...Meaning: significance, purpose as the purpose, and without intellgence. Like why a plant reaches for the light, a bug flys into a flame, or a person gives up freedom to fight for freedom.

And yes i doubt if we can communicate.

[BronzeDog]

In that case, there's still no need for meaning.

Don't know if this is true or not, but it should be good enough for an illustration:

Sunflowers, for instance, turn towards the sun because the heat evaporates the water in the cells of its stem closest to the sun, causing them to shrink. The cells further away retain more water and grow. The result is a stem that bends the flower to face the sun. There is no "meaning" or "purpose" in the act. If the trait causes an improvement in the reproduction rate of the flowers, its persistence is the natural effect. It's simple causality.

Reproduction and evolution are purposeless effects of several purposeless causes. The human perception of meaning and purpose could very well be nothing but a persistant hereditary trait that (for subtle reasons) increases our ability to survive and reproduce.

Since this whole thing's a derail from the topic of rabbits doing something us humans consider gross, I think I'll end my part with this.