faceman writes:
ringo writes:
How is different information not "new" information?
But is it beneficial? Can it ultimately turn a fish into us?
I'm guessing here, but your response to ringo seems to imply a deep misunderstanding of the word "beneficial."
In biology, when discussing mutations, "beneficial" does not mean "more like humans."
Beneficial does not even
necessarily mean:
-more intelligent
-more dexterity
-stronger
-camouflaged
-bigger
-better eye-sight
-new senses
None of these are what "beneficial" means.
They
can be beneficial.
And they can also
not be beneficial.
When discussing mutations in biology, "beneficial" only has one meaning: helps the organism survive to the point of reproducing.
That's it.
Sometimes that means getting stronger or bigger or more intelligent.
Sometimes that means getting weaker or smaller or dumber.
It can sometimes be extremely counter-intuitive (like getting dumber being beneficial).
Intelligence can sometimes lead to taking time to make decisions. If you take too much time, and get eaten... the intelligence is not beneficial. In such a circumstance, getting dumber is beneficial.
If you're going to attempt discussions about biological mutations, it's best to understand what the terms actually mean in biology and not what they can mean when talking to your friends about your day.