The Real EleP(T|H)ant in the Room

TSZ has made much ado about P(T|H), a conditional probability based on a materialistic hypothesis. They don’t seem to realize that H pertains to their position and that H cannot be had means their position is untestable. The only reason the conditional probability exists in the first place is due to the fact that the claims of evolutionists cannot be directly tested in a lab. If their claims could be directly tested then there wouldn’t be any need for a conditional probability.

If P(T|H) cannot be calculated it is due to the failure of evolutionists to provide H and their failure to find experimental evidence to support their claims.

I know what the complaints are going to be- “It is Dembski’s metric”- but yet it is in relation to your position and it wouldn’t exist if you actually had something that could be scientifically tested.

 

 

286 thoughts on “The Real EleP(T|H)ant in the Room

  1. Acartia: Really? Can you point me to a known designed artifact in which there is absolutely no knowledge of the mechanisms, or possible mechanism of construction?

    “Poof” is a perfectly cromulent mechanism.

  2. Mung: That’s why I like to post here. No danger of running into any experts.

    It’s like Frankie and Mung are neighbours who have not been invited to the party and who desire nothing more to ruin it for everyone else, if they can’t go.

  3. DNA_Jock: Wow! That’s a very interesting position for an ID-ist to stake out. You are saying that p(H|T) is irrelevant?
    May I quote you?
    LMAO

    Wow! Still no case against what I said. P(H|T), in context would be the probability of a hypothesis, H, given a materialistic pathway X.

    http://statistics.about.com/od/ProbHelpandTutorials/a/What-Is-Conditional-Probability.htm

    Cautions

    Be very careful to identify which event depends upon the other. In general P( A | B) is not equal to P( B | A). That is the probability of A given the event B is not the same as the probability of B given the event A.

  4. Patrick: “Poof” is a perfectly cromulent mechanism.

    The Antikythera mechanism, Non Madol, the massive cave system in Turkey, Pumapunku – but that misses the point. We don’t have to know the mechanism used to determine intelligent design exists and then try to figure out the how. The how always comes after. And that proves that ID is not a scientific dead-end as it opens up those other questions.

    But anyway your refusal to engage in the topic betrays your desperation.

  5. Frankie: probability of A given the event B is not the same as the probability of B given the event A

    Very good point.
    Now would be a good time to retract your statement that “p(H|T) is irrelevant”…
    Your description of what p(H|T) is is a little off, btw.

  6. DNA_Jock,

    I don’t see any reason to retract my statement as my reference supports it.
    I retract my claim that P(H|T) is irrelevant. But my description is a little off to the anal retentive who choose to obfuscate and not respond to the point at hand.

  7. DNA_Jock:
    Joe, I am not convinced that you even know what a conditional probability is.

    Could you please help me out here,

    how is p(T|H) related to p(H|T)?

    Thanks

    To recap- P(T|H) is the probability of event T given event H. The | stands for given. P(H|T) would be the probability of event H given event T

    If P(H|T) = 0 then it proves the claim to be untestable.

    So I have to retract what I said above as I see the relevance. P(T|H) cannot be calculated because P(H|T) = 0. And evolutionism is not science

  8. Frankie,
    To clarify my previous comment, Bayes Theorem is one way of expressing the relationship between the conditional probabilities P(T|H) and P(H|T).

  9. Dave Carlson:
    Frankie,
    To clarify my previous comment, Bayes Theorem is one way of expressing the relationship between the conditional probabilities P(T|H) and P(H|T).

    Yes, and that is my fault for thinking they were trying to trick me. They made a big deal out of it even though it was really covered in the OP.

  10. Frankie: The Antikythera mechanism,

    Yup, humans have no history or mechanism for producing intermeshing gears.

    Frankie:Non Madol,

    Yup, humans had no means of working stone to produce structures.

    Frankie: the massive cave system in Turkey,

    Yup, humans have never dug caves before.

    Frankie:Pumapunku

    Again with the mason work.

    Frankie:but that misses the point.

    And what point is that? That we are good at identifying artifacts built by an organism for which we have extensive knowledge of what tools and capabilities it has? In that case, we agree.

    You have yet to provide a single example of a known designed artifact for which we did not have intimate knowledge of the capabilities and tools available to the designer.

    Frankie: We don’t have to know the mechanism used to determine intelligent design exists

    Agreed, but in absence of this, we must know the capabilities and tools available to the designer.

    Frankie:The how always comes after. And that proves that ID is not a scientific dead-end as it opens up those other questions.

    So, you are admitting that after more than a decade ID has failed to identify a single example of design in any life form. If they had, the research into the mechanisms used (or available) to the designer would have been progressing at a rapid pace.

  11. Frankie: To recap- P(T|H) is the probability of event T given event H. The | stands for given. P(H|T) would be the probability of event H given event T

    Well, that’s not really a “recap”, Frankie, but I am glad you got there eventually.
    Let’s revisit your reference: Dembski p18

    T in P(T|H) is treated as an event (i.e., the event identified by the pattern. [i.e., the bacterial flagellar structure]),

    and

    Moreover, H, here, is the relevant chance hypothesis that takes into account Darwinian and other material mechanisms.

    Thus, per Dembski, p(T|H) is the probability of observing the flagellar structure, given the “relevant chance hypothesis that takes into account Darwinian and other material mechanisms”.
    And THEREFORE p(H|T) is the probability that the Darwinian hypothesis is true, given the observation of the flagellar structure. It’s not merely “relevant”, it’s the whole frigging ball of wax.
    Now what everyone reading this thread knows, except for you (and perhaps Mung; Sal knows), is that p(H|T) and p(T|H) can be interconverted via Bayes theorem. Hence my original question to you, and the general giggling at your flailing responses.
    But Dembski knows that, to get from p(T|H), which he thinks he might be able to measure, somehow, although no-one has yet managed it, to p(H|T), which is what he really needs for his “therefore design” argument, he has to assume his conclusion. So, instead of applying Bayes theorem, he uses p(T|H) as a poor man’s substitute for p(H|T). As you so eloquently pointed out

    In general P( A | B) is not equal to P( B | A).

    How true.
    So Dembski applies Fisherian testing, which says if p(T|H) is sufficiently small, we reject H. Apart from being fundamentally invalid, this leads to a whole new set of problems for Dembski, not least of which is that H has to be “all relevant chance hypotheses, taking into account Darwinian and other material mechanisms”.
    Which makes the calculation of p(T|H)…errr..how should I put it…problematic
    But at least you learnt something today. Positively a red-letter day, Frankie.

  12. Yes, Acartia, your desperate attempt to change the subject, along with your ignorance of investigation, are duly noted.

  13. DNA_Jock,

    LoL! That was a recap, DNA. You just had some issue that you couldn’t put it together. And I have already addressed everything you have said. All you are doing is confirming that there isn’t any way to test the claims of evolutionism, ie the alleged theory of evolution. And yes tat is problematic for you and yours

  14. Frankie:
    Yes, Acartia, your desperate attempt to change the subject, along with your ignorance of investigation, are duly noted.

    Hmm. Projection.

  15. Mung:
    Looks like I ran into a bunch of people who think they are experts on the experts.

    I am an expert on people like that. 😎

  16. DNA_Jock:

    Now what everyone reading this thread knows, except for you (and perhaps Mung; Sal knows), is that p(H|T) and p(T|H) can be interconverted via Bayes theorem.

    It’s unlikely that Mung knows it, unless he learned it recently. Mung, after all, is the person who wrote this:

    Jerad:

    Generally the P(T|H) is going to be very, very small but not 0.

    For the probability to be very very small implies that we’ve divided the numerator by the denominator to arrive at the value. The numerator and denominator are both values. The value of the denominator cannot be zero.

    Therefore, either Dembski is proposing we divide by zero in his formula, or keiths is lying. I’ve opted to believe the latter.

    Mung roulette pays out occasionally, too. Keep spinning that wheel, folks!

  17. keiths is saying we have to have an H = 0 before we can infer design. Which is just ignorant.

  18. keiths is saying we have to have an H = 0 before we can infer design.

    H is not a number, Mung. And T|H is not a quotient.

  19. keiths: H is not a number, Mung. And T|H is not a quotient.

    If H doesn’t exist we can call it 0, for a placeholder. And if you don’t have a H then the probability of T given nothing is 0. Tx0=0 😎

  20. Frankie:

    And if you don’t have a H then the probability of T given nothing is 0. Tx0=0 😎

    Too funny.

    Frankie and Mung roulette are paying out big today. This is how you get hooked on gambling.

    Psst, Frankie — the probability of T given nothing is just the unconditional probability P(T).

  21. If the question is “what is the probability that the evolution would produce the bacterial flagellum?”, the answer is “vanishingly small”.

    This is a powerful argument against the hypothesis that evolutionary processes made the evolution of the bacterial flagellum inevitable.

    Has anyone actually suggested that?

  22. Mung:
    keiths is saying we have to have an H = 0 before we can infer design. Which is just ignorant.

    FFS just stop posting and learn.

  23. xrayzed: This is a powerful argument against the hypothesis that evolutionary processes made the evolution of the bacterial flagellum inevitable.

    Has anyone actually suggested that?

    No.

  24. keiths: H is not a number, Mung. And T|H is not a quotient.

    Then requiring that it be zero in order to infer design is just ignorant. Glad you agree with me.

  25. Rumraket: FFS just stop posting and learn.

    I learn here. But sifting through all the lies and BS is a chore. And if we’re honest, you and others like you are not here to teach, else you would be teaching instead of scoffing.

    And for me personally, asking questions is a huge part of how I learn. So asking me to “stop posting and learn” is counter-productive.

  26. keiths:
    Frankie:

    Too funny.

    Frankie and Mung roulette are paying out big today.This is how you get hooked on gambling.

    Psst, Frankie — the probability of T given nothing is just the unconditional probability P(T).

    That is incorrect. The probability of ATP synthase is 1 as it exists. So what you are saying doesn’t make any sense at all.

  27. xrayzed:
    If the question is “what is the probability that the evolution would produce the bacterial flagellum?”, the answer is “vanishingly small”.

    This is a powerful argument against the hypothesis that evolutionary processes made the evolution of the bacterial flagellum inevitable.

    Has anyone actually suggested that?

    The probability that stochastic process can produce a bacterial flagellum is the same as stochastic processes producing Stonehenge, exactly 0.

    However the point is no one knows how to test the claim that stochastic processes can produce a bacterial flagellum making the claim vacuous and unscientific.

  28. Frankie finds a definition of conditional probability:
    P(T|H) is the probability of event T given event H.

    Frankie: quotes keiths

    the probability of T given nothing is just the unconditional probability P(T).

    That is incorrect. The probability of ATP synthase is 1 as it exists. So what you are saying doesn’t make any sense at all.

    No Frankie, keiths is correct. Perhaps the word “given” is giving you trouble. It does not mean “given the following tools”, rather it means “if we assume that the following is true”, so p(event|nothing) = p(event)
    Always.
    Maybe I was wrong about the red-letter day.
    🙁

  29. The thread title is misleading. It should be “help Frankie understand basic probability”.

  30. LoL! @ Richie- Make your case. I know that I am not assuming my conclusion so good luck with that. And it is true that you have no way to test the claim that stochastic processes can produce/ produced ATP synthase

  31. DNA_Jock:
    That is incorrect. The probability of ATP synthase is 1 as it exists. So what you are saying doesn’t make any sense at all.

    No Frankie, keiths is correct. Perhaps the word “given” is giving you trouble. It does not mean “given the following tools”, rather it means “if we assume that the following is true”, so p(event|nothing) = p(event)
    Always.
    Maybe I was wrong about the red-letter day.

    LoL! And another one who cannot make a case. The conditional probability remains, so keiths is wrong. The probability of T given nothing would be 0, not the probability of T, which exists and must be explained by something.

    Seeing that you were so wrong yesterday and then day before, I see no reason to believe you today

  32. Frankie: I know that I am not assuming my conclusion

    Good. Then you’ll be able to show your math. If you don’t, you’ve assumed your conclusion.

  33. LoL! Still afraid to make your case, eh? What math is needed to show that your position doesn’t have a testable hypothesis for the evolution of any bacterial flagellum? What math is required to show it is composed of many parts all configured properly? We can count then parts and observe the function.

    Look instead of flailing away at me and ID perhaps you should focus on all of the many shortcomings of your position. But we know that you won’t because you don’t even know where to start.

  34. Frankie,

    You’ve made a claim, failed to support it and are now trying to change the subject. Thanks for showing once again that ID is simply and anti-evolutionary conjecture, devoid of content of its own.

  35. LoL! I made the claim that I am assuming my conclusion? Really?

    Richie has me confused with evolutionists who all assume everything biological evolved via stochastic processes. Unfortunately they cannot test the bulk of the claims, only the trivial like disease and deformities.

    My claim above is supported by the facts, namely the evolution of any bacterial flagellum via stochastic processes eludes us. And its form and function strongly resemble a feat of engineering. Given the findings of Durrett and Schmidt, building something of that intricacy and complexity is impossible via stochastic processes (unless you can show that any ole mutations can do it).

  36. Frankie: My claim above is supported by the facts, namely the evolution of any bacterial flagellum via stochastic processes eludes us.

    And a healthy BMI eludes you, but that doesn’t make it impossible (P=0).

    “resemble engineering”. Resemble. So they resemble human endeavors. Shame there were none around then.

  37. 1- BMI alone is not an indicator of health. Only the ignorant use it as such.

    2- Resembles is good enough given necessity and chance have been eliminated

    3- Again, if it couldn’t have been humans then we infer it was some other intentional agency. What we don’t do is regress and say OK it musta been mother nature all along.

    4- All this would be moot if you could only support the claims of your position. That you have to flail away at me and ID not only exposes your desperation but also the vacuous nature of your position.

    So, for the kids, I thank you.

  38. 1. Really? What is the correlation of BMI and health?

    2. Proof required

    3. No we don’t. You’re just making things up based on your religious proclivities.

    4. And again ID is simply anti-evolution.

  39. Frankie:

    2- Resembles is good enough given necessity and chance have been eliminated

    What about processes that combine chance and necessity? You IDiots sure haven’t eliminated them.

  40. ID is anti evolution given the lack of evidence for evolution.

    It looks like Frankie wins this round.

    If you turn the hill into a hole it’s simple to understand how the elephant got to the bottom. The Anti-Frankie crowd should stop digging.

  41. Mung, to Rumraket:

    And for me personally, asking questions is a huge part of how I learn. So asking me to “stop posting and learn” is counter-productive.

    Mung,

    We had that conversation 3 1/2 years ago, yet you still have no idea what P(T|H) means.

    Let’s take a look at the kind of questions you were asking.

    Mung, to Jerad:

    Jerad:

    The value of H? In Dr Dembski’s paper? H is the chance hypothesis. The value of H does not make sense. The probability of H kind of makes sense.

    Were you sober when you posted this? Is there some mysterious mathematical meaning of value that I am not aware of?

    Mung, to keiths:

    keiths:

    No, Mung, I am not saying that (and neither is Dembski). First, H is not a number, as Jerad has patiently been trying to explain to you.

    Yes, H is not a number, it’s a symbol. So is T and so is P and so is ‘(‘ and ‘|’ and ‘)’. ok, good, have we got that out of the way?

    But in order to obtain a probability you have to use some values. In the world I inhabit those values are numbers. What are they in your world?

    keiths:

    You have to know that something couldn’t have evolved before you attribute CSI to it.

    P(T|H)

    So the chance hypothesis (H) would be what? Not a chance?

    I think I see the problem with your questions.

  42. Adapa: What about processes that combine chance and necessity?

    Are you saying the keiths Weasel program finds the target phrase by necessity? And yet people claim it isn’t guided/directed. LoL!

  43. Mung:
    ID is anti evolution given the lack of evidence for evolution.

    It looks like Frankie wins this round.

    If you turn the hill into a hole it’s simple to understand how the elephant got to the bottom. The Anti-Frankie crowd should stop digging.

    Creationists are so cute when they try to support each other’s flailing. 😀

  44. keiths, for whatever reason, needs to pretend that I did not say the following:

    “Yes, H is not a number, it’s a symbol.”

  45. Mung: Are you saying the keiths Weasel program finds the target phrase by necessity? And yet people claim it isn’t guided/directed. LoL!

    All this time and Mung still doesn’t get how evolution works.

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