I think there's an ideological bias in our culture that pushes people to believe that intelligent or structured phenomenon inevitably emerge organically and progressively from complex phenomena.
Teleological thinking -- a kind of imagining of purpose and cause from chaotic/natural events and entities -- riddles popular thinking, especially from people in our profession. Science fiction is especially full of it.
It's not just restricted to this domain at all. IMHO similar bias underlies thinking around economics and the magical hand of the free market economy.
Its also a bias evident in the way some people talk about nature, gardening, etc. E.g. permaculture / natural farming people show it all the time.
> I think there's an ideological bias in our culture that pushes people to believe that intelligent or structured phenomenon inevitably emerge organically and progressively from complex phenomena.
All science points to this being the case, for us. I think the only ones opposed are those that believe in young earth creationism, and only some portion of those that believe in old earth creationism.
Teleological thinking -- a kind of imagining of purpose and cause from chaotic/natural events and entities -- riddles popular thinking, especially from people in our profession. Science fiction is especially full of it.
It's not just restricted to this domain at all. IMHO similar bias underlies thinking around economics and the magical hand of the free market economy.
Its also a bias evident in the way some people talk about nature, gardening, etc. E.g. permaculture / natural farming people show it all the time.