Brain expansion: different theories about rapid expansion (Evolution)

by dhw, Sunday, September 27, 2020, 12:12 (1299 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: Blithely stating 'adding new cells in response to new requirements' while ignoring that the only cells we can add are to help the hippocampus with memory storage, i.e., is twisting what we know to aid you theory. Our oversized brain added cells to heavily used areas as it shrunk.

dhw: The hippocampus proves that the brain can add cells where needed. That is not twisting anything. It is evidence of the feasibility of the argument that earlier expansions entailed adding cells where needed.

DAVID: Again expanding a limited purposeful expansion in one specific region to expanding everywhere, to follow your wishes and avoid the factual limits. You can imagine anything you wish. Proves nothing with any degree of foundation.

Same old, same old. All compartments of the brain consist of cells. If the cells in one compartment are able to add to their numbers in order to meet new requirements, why do you assume that the cells in other compartments could never have done the same at a time when expansion was possible? No, it’s not proven. Nor is your own divine dabbling theory proven. But why is my theory not feasible?

DAVID: Our brain does respond to new requirements. It was set up to do so by God.

dhw: So if our brain responds to new requirements, why do you insist that earlier brains changed BEFORE there were any new requirements? What happened to: “please deal with what we know and then theorize if you wish”? But yes, I would say that ALL brains respond(ed) to new requirements, and if God exists, then of course he set them up to do so. He would have invented the mechanism that gave them this ability! No further involvement required. Why is this not feasible?

DAVID: You try to slip a possible God into the discussion to maintain your balance on the picket fence. You see God as 'possible', while I see God as most 'probable', based on the design argument, the same argument that keeps you agnostic.

We are not discussing the possible existence of God, and this is totally irrelevant to the discussion on what caused brains to expand.

DAVID: From my viewpoint, a designer would prepare a brain for the new requirements. You ignore our brain's stasis period which is a bold fact. Our brain was huge 315,000 years ago and little was done with it, very obvious evidence of being provided a brain for future use.

Why do you keep flogging this dead horse? The question is why the brain expanded in the first place. I suggest it expanded in order to meet (unknown) new requirements. Once it had met these requirements by expanding, there were no more new requirements until sapiens came up with some fresh ideas 280,000 years later. That was the period of stasis. And I keep asking you why your God would have performed his operation on the sleeping Moroccans 280,000 years before the new cells were needed, and all you can come up with is they needed to learn to use it, though you tell us that “little was done with it”.

I’m transferring your “errors” comment to the appropriate thread.