Originally posted by Phlabibit
A paper clip is not functionally complex, it's bent metal for holding paper together.
A combustion engine is moreso, and a human brain is probably very functionally complex. Its the measurement of how 'indepth' or 'advanced'(?) something is when it's doing it's job.
P-
How can we measure something and say complexity has increased by
this value? I've used in the past checkers and chess to try and get
just complexity understood, the amount of variables involved
increases therefore is it more complex? Is a checker piece before it is
kinged, less complex than rook in chess because the rook has more
options, or is it simply one piece doing whatever it is it does,
compared to another piece doing whatever it is it does? It is difficult,
we cannot even seem to agree what information is.
To move on to functionally complex is a bicycle less complex than
say a motorcycle? Do we look at a single cell species and figure out
how many molecules are in it, than compare those numbers to a
human so we can compare “X” figure within a single cell to “Y” figure
within a human than say that now our complexity has increased by
whatever that figure is? The cell has this many molecules doing
whatever it is that they do that is required to make the cell live, and
the human has this many within it making the human body live. Can
we say that the complete DNA code required for a cell is “x” while the
complete DNA code for a human is “y” and judge complexity has
increased?
Could we also simply say that what is required for a human to digest
food is more complex that what a cell goes through? Simply again
because of the all the molecules at work within the single cell is
whatever that is, and all of those molecules making up the digestive
system within the human is whatever that is, if we were to say that
you were going to modify our single cell DNA to produce a human
instead, are we increasing something here? If so how do we measure
and do the math?
We have to keep in mind we are talking about something functionally
complex, there are things within a cell or human if we break it dies.
If we tinker with the code we can have choices but lose in the end
because death will follow. Keeping something functionally complex
and increase that (FC) to the point that new systems or organs are
created has yet to be demonstrated as far as I know. Frogs have not
grow wings so they still bump their butts when they land. (poor things)
Kelly