38 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Information Theory: Roadblock for Evolution, August 18, 2002
This review is from: In the Beginning Was Information (Paperback)
In this fascinating book, the author Werner Gitt explains in detail the principle of information theory, namely defining the characteristics of information and all the observational evidence we have for the origin and formation of information. He carefully and clearly delineates what is considered information for the purposes of the theory, and the 5-level structure of information, which includes Statistics, Syntax, Semantics, Pragmatics, and Apobetics. It is shown that the well-known theory of information given by Shannon is an important contribution, but can only describe the lowest (statistical) level of information, while ignoring the most crucial aspects of its higher level definition. All information, as defined by the book, has these higher level aspects, which include the structure and code (syntax); the meaning (semantics); the intended action (pragmatics); and purpose or goal (apobetics). Of course that is an oversimplification of the concept, but Gitt does a fine job of explaining it with numerous fascinating examples both from the biological and technical realm.
Gitt shows how all attempts to generate (or simulate the generation of) information apart from a mental process have failed. This is the most fundamental hurdle that the theory of evolution must overcome in order to claim validity as a complete explanation of the origin of life apart from the Creator or a mental source. DNA is undeniably information, and it is coded in such an efficient and marvelous way, that it is utterly unmatched by the greatest technological advancements of today. Even an experiment to show the formation of meaningful DNA from materialistic processes, in sufficient quantity to produce life, would still fall far short of proving this necessary step for evolution, since apart from a meaningful context of proteins and RNA to participate in the replication, transcription, and translation of the information in DNA, DNA is useless. And as it is well known in biology, the paradox goes deeper: the proteins that are required for replication, etc are coded for BY the DNA! The challenge of information theory to evolution can not be brushed aside, and this book does an excellent job of laying out the theory in a detailed yet understandable and compelling manner.
Gitt's book offers a fresh look at the creation and evolution debate by presenting a robust positive case for creation on the basis of the theorems and natural laws encompassed by information theory and the countless observations that have affirmed this theory. He discuss numerous examples that have been proposed contrary to the it, and how they have failed to falsify the theory. Gitt devotes limited time to discounting evolution, but makes reference to other writings of his that deal with it more specifically. The purpose of the book is not so much to deconstruct evolutionary theory, but to establish by scientific theorems that all known information has a mental source, and this has yet to be disproven. He is also unabashedly a Christian and a believer in special creation, which comes across clearly in his book, yet he rightly admits that the existence of God can not be proved. However, he points out the consistency of the inference of a Creator with all other observations about information.
"In the Beginning Was Information" will be a very informative book not only for creationists, but evolutionists as well, due to its thorough explanation of information. If you read this book, by all means read the appendix at the end, it contains some of the most intriguing examples in the whole book!
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35 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Profound implications, April 13, 2002
This review is from: In the Beginning Was Information (Paperback)
This book has the potential of absolutely destroying all materialistic theories of the origin of life. No book since Darwin's Origin of the Species, in my opinion, can compare with this one in its profound and far reaching implications - if it is read. No, I am not a salesman but perhaps I can influence a true freethinker and seeker of truth to see what I am talking about.
A man named Claude E. Shannon defined information on a statistical level and many atheists such as Richard Dawkins have misused the truths that he discovered as proof that the coded information contained in DNA can arise through "natural selection" or is explained by a random process that undergoes evolution and "self replication" until viable information is attained.
Professor Werner Gitt refutes that idea and similar hypotheses absolutely by the use of empirical evidence. The book is written both for the layman and the experts who require complicated formulas. The more elaborate scientific explanations are contained in the appendix. The author shows by the application of information theorems that the specified sequence of the nucleotide "letters" in DNA (ATCG) and their effectual division into triplets (codons) that is coordinated with the translation process MUST be the result of a mental process and not a material or chemical one. He shows that material explanations for the origin of the information contained in DNA and a living cell are inherently absurd and impossible. His conclusions are based not upon speculation but on scientific theorems.
The implication should be obvious. First, it becomes apparent immediately that whether the theory of evolution is true or not it cannot operate without intelligent input. Secondly, it throws a monkey wrench into all naturalistic and materialistic theories that pertain to the origin of life and its development whether through natural selection or direct creation. If a mental source must be assumed in order for information to exist then all bets are off because life is based upon the coded information contained in DNA. "RNA worlds", "self replicating molecules", and endless speculation on random self organization of amino acids and nucleotide bases becomes irrelevant because they violate established laws of science. These information laws, theorems or maxims fly in the face of all naturalistic explanations of the origin of life and the coded information contained in it.
The book is well written and is easy to read. The author simplifies the problems so that they can be understood by anyone who is capable of rational thought.
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11 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating book, June 17, 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: In the Beginning Was Information (Paperback)
This book was my first real attempt at studying the science of Information theory. Professor Gitt made a complex topic understandable and interesting. Some sections I skipped because they were beyond me, but the book as a whole was understandable even by a none mathematician such as myself. I recommend this book for anyone who has an interest in the topic.
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