Making Use of Natural Selection

One of the more interesting commenters at Telic Thoughts is Rock, a commenter who has not been heard from since October. One of the comments he made that month can be accessed here. Quoting from the comment:

But all I actually will “claim” is that the genetic code is definitively a code, as code theorists define “code.” The idea that the genetic code is was or could be designed by known methods and with known purposes is an idea rejected by both IDers and their critics. Therefore, whatever I (or code theorists and designers) have to say is irrelevant in these discussions.

Also, Bradford, I accept as a matter of fact that natural selection applies in design, and that technological evolution is subject to natural selection, and can’t imagine how it could possibly be different! For me “natural selection” is just a statement that naturally given conditions effect the performance of designs and designers obviously consider those conditions and include them in their designs. Designers design for naturally given conditions and therefore natural selection applies to design. Like I said, how could it be otherwise?

Designers, Bradford, do indeed deal with natural selection, with conditions, quite creatively. And maybe, as I've suggested to you before, rather than resisting the idea, you make it yours! Know what I mean?

Rock is a deep thinker and makes the point that given conditions (natural selection) effect design performance and therefore designers create designs suitable to those conditions. He makes a valid criticism of me in pointing out that I should be incorporating natural selection into design theory rather than directing fire at selection based targets.