A._Coward

"But basically, the 1 bit/generation bound is information-theoretic; it applies, not just to any species, but to any self-reproducing organism, even one based on RNA or silicon. The specifics of how information is utilized, in our case DNA -> mRNA -> protein, don't matter."

OK, and I'm familiar with information theory (less so with evolutionary biology, but I understand the basics) but I'm thinking that the 1 bit/generation bound is -- pardon the pun -- a bit misleading, since:

1. A lot -- I mean a lot -- of crazy assumptions are made without any hard evidence to back them up. (E.g., the "mammals produce on average ~4 offspring, and when they produce more, it's

"'Life spends a lot of time in non-equilibrium states as well, and those are the states in which evolution can operate most quickly.'

Yes, but they must be balanced by states where it operates more slowly. You can certainly have a situation where 1.5 bits are added in odd years and .5 bits in even years, but it's a wash: you still get 1 bit/year long term."

This seems to contradict your earlier assertion that the 1 bit/generation rate is "an upper bound, not an average." It seems to me to be more analogous to a roulette wheel or the Second Law of Thermodynamics (relax! I'm not about to make a creationist argument just... (read more)

"But basically, the 1 bit/generation bound is information-theoretic; it applies, not just to any species, but to any self-reproducing organism, even one based on RNA or silicon. The specifics of how information is utilized, in our case DNA -> mRNA -> protein, don't matter."

OK, and I'm familiar with information theory (less so with evolutionary biology, but I understand the basics) but I'm thinking that the 1 bit/generation bound is -- pardon the pun -- a bit misleading, since:

1. A lot -- I mean a lot -- of crazy assumptions are made without any hard evidence to back them up. (E.g., the "mammals produce on average ~4 offspring, and when they produce more, it's