the universe and space....?

Any protein that works is a winner, even if it is not the optimum configuration.
You do not need any particular sequence of amino acids in most of a protein as long as the right bits are sticking out.

Although human DNA represents the hand that was dealt, there are myriad other possible winning hands. Any sequence of DNA is a winner if it enables its bearer to survive and produce grandchildren. The ape family happened to come up with the first royal flush, but a sentient species could just as well have evolved from rodents or cats.

Predation, starvation, disease, disaster, and non-selection by potential mates are non-random forces that determine which DNA sequences are out of the game. Whoever is left "wins" by default, the winners' children take their seats and the game goes on.

Terry wrote:

Any protein that works is a winner, even if it is not the optimum configuration.
You do not need any particular sequence of amino acids in most of a protein as long as the right bits are sticking out.

Although human DNA represents the hand that was dealt, there are myriad other possible winning hands. Any sequence of DNA is a winner if it enables its bearer to survive and produce grandchildren. The ape family happened to come up with the first royal flush, but a sentient species could just as well have evolved from rodents or cats.

Predation, starvation, disease, disaster, and non-selection by potential mates are non-random forces that determine which DNA sequences are out of the game. Whoever is left "wins" by default, the winners' children take their seats and the game goes on.

Terry, I agree with what you have written here. I do not agree with what you appear to me to be inferring from what you have written here.

I realize you are aware of almost all I shall write subsequently.

The human genome, metaphorically speaking, contains millions of <cards> strung out in sequence. There are only four different kinds of <cards> in the human genome, say AKQJ. It is the actual sequence of those <cards> in the human's zygote genome that determines what shall be formed over the approximately 36 week gestation period. In particular, the mouse's zygote genome determines that a mouse's brain shall be formed over its gestation period. The human zygote genome determines that a human's brain shall be formed over its gestation period.

Only about 1% of those subsequences of cards in the genome specify amino acid configurations that specify relevant protein configurations, so fewer still specify the respective brains that ultimately result. Regardless, the number of relevant <cards> in those relevant sequences that specify our brain is of such size as to make undirected chance plus natural selection probably insufficient for evolving the human brain.

Human brains differ. But all functioning human brains perform pretty much the same functions. This is true, because of relevant and complex close similarities in the sequences of <cards> in our genomes.

Those relevant and complex close genome similarities are persistent. That is, they are found in procreation after procreation of normal human brains. The aggregate total lengths of these repeatedly procreated relevant <card> sequences for the human brain is not yet known. All that is known is that their aggregate length is substantially more than 1,826.

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CALCULATION

4 = 10^0.602059991

Total number of possible relevant sequences = 4^1,825.399489 = (10^0.602059991)^ (1,825.399489) = (10^(0.602059991 x 1,825.399489) = 10^1,099.

Assume 10^99 genome edits (e.g., mutations, <card> redeals) occurred per trillion years to form the first viable genome and finally the human genome, then the probability of getting the right sequence via undirected chance and natural selection is less than,

10^99 / (10^1099) = 10^(-1000) = a "thoogolth".

There are only 3.1125600 x 10^7 seconds in the average year, and only 3.1125600 x 10^19 seconds in a trillion years. Let's assume an average rate of viable procreations to be 3.212789472^43 (a little more than a Planck rate) per second. Then we would have about 10^53 viable procreations per trillion years. So where did I get the other 10^(99-53) procreations per trillion years? I invented 10^46 planets in our universe all as capable of evolving life as our earth. :wink:
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Yes, I realize I grossly underestimated the number of relevant <cards> in the human genome (denominator), and grossly overestimated the number of genome edits (numerator) over the actual history of the earth. So, I'll be pleased to recalculate using your estimates backed up by your respected scientific sources.

Try to understand this, Ican.

No matter what number you come up with -- you cannot logically use that number to determine that it is probable that INTELLIGENCE (or anything else) had to influence the evolution in order to arrive at where we are.

You simply cannot logically do that.

That is a corruption of probability theory..

Ican, save your breath. Everyone here knows that Evolution (natural selection) only occurs on the Galapagos Islands.

... A little truth may help to forestall Armageddon and let our grandkids reach for the stars. (thus securing an infinity for our genome) Possibly of course.

Ican, (pagination problem here also)

As your friendly mechanic I have noted that some proteins"just do it naturally". They can't help it!

I am willing to call that characteristic of some naturally occurring compounds intelligence. Or life force. Are you

If you can show that this would skew probability theory enough to result in our current observations in a finite Cosmos then that quest would probably be worthwhile. But maybe not.