What's your religion?

[ArtDrake]

They are an attack on atheism by means of attack on Darwinian evolution. By saying that they are 90% genetically identical, Buggy hoped to show genetics to be ridiculous, and thus Darwinian evolution, and by extension, atheism.

[Steel Ersatz Man]

You know what, this is getting DANGEROUSLY close to flaming. So, how about we all agree that we can't change each other's minds and we will find out who's right when we die. Deal, everyone?

[Cypher]

No. And anyway, if people DO start flaming, I can lock this topic.

[Steel Ersatz Man]

No. And anyway, if people DO start flaming, I can lock this topic.

Ok then... but, remember, I warned you.

[Cypher]

No. And anyway, if people DO start flaming, I can lock this topic.

Ok then... but, remember, I warned you.

Indeed I shall. ;)

[cyso]

Even if we were 90% genetically identical to ground squirrels (or bananas), we would still be very different from them. There is tons of information in genetic code. Missing 10% of the code would be like leaving out a few dictionaries worth of information, at the least.

[bugfartboy]

Isn't the human genome I don't know... Somewhere around a couple hundred?

[ArtDrake]

A couple hundred what?

[bugfartboy]

Exactly. Aren't there supposed to be a couple hundred genomes in the human gene?

[ArtDrake]

There is only one human genome per cell, and most of the genes are turned off in any given cell.

[cyso]

If the human genome were stored as a text file, the file would be about 1.5 gigabytes. If you stored it in raw format for later re-analysis, it would be between 2 and 30 terabytes. 1 terabytes=1000 gigabytes. There is tons of information in the human genome. That means if something is only 90% similar to humans, that means that the text file would contain .35 gigabytes of different information. In raw format, it would contain between 1.8 and 27 terabytes of different information. That's a ton of difference.
If you want to know where I got the first few numbers from, see this site.
http://www.genetic-future.com/2008/06/how-much-data-is-human-genome-it.html

[ArtDrake]

Thank you, and we've established a point that was not really part of a consequential argument or debate...

[cyso]

I just think it's funny that some people point to genetic similarity between gorillas and humans and say that we aren't so different genetically.

[ArtDrake]

We aren't. We only (according to a theory based on Darwinian evolution) branched off from their ancestry abt. 6,000,000 years ago. Short time geologically.

[cyso]

Could you please give an example of a common ancestor? I would prefer if it were a mammal, not some bacteria or protist.