Let me reword the question. Do you agree there are functions and mechanisms built into the process of evolution that *allow* external influence and direction of the outcome of evolution? My answer to this is a definite *yes*. Evolution by definition is a mathematic function peak finder based on an externalized solution set. The various functions so far discovered in both artificial, electronic and biological evolution are all "natural" functions that allow better solution finding.

Every living creature might be considered as an "island" of a particular instance of dna, so to throw in the idea that each of these islands can be directed to change from one or more, known and unknown places is a real shocker. It's as if each living creature is networked to each other. Speculation aside, one of the fundamental tenets that allows evolution to operate is the random walk. I won't go into in depth explanations of random walk solution finding, but the gist of it is the dependence on a random variable. The interesting thing about randomness, is nobody knows what randomness really is. You might say that evolution is wrapped up in observable repeatable science, which for the most part is true, but deep down inside, it requires this element of randomness. Randomness, the more you think about it, is like magic. You harder you try to explain it, the farther away the explanation is. Perhaps what we perceive as randomness is something external?

I really doubt you'll find much in-depth knowledge on evolution on any theological site. They tend to point their noses away and wag their fingers at the stuff.

The ability of bacterial dna to reprogram the bacterial dna in other bacteria is well documented since the 1960s. You can find lots of stuff anywhere as far as I know. I think the earliest experiment was with e coli. Somebody engineered a strain of e coli that is incapable of digesting sugar by damaging the b-galactosidase mechanism. They then introduced a strain of normal e coli into the dish, and within minutes, the normal e coli transmited data to the damaged e coli, causing their dna to instantly upgrade and gain access to the b-galactosidase function. the broken e coli compiled this live, that means the evolutionary jump occured in the live organism. Neat eh? And there are *many* other mechanisms for doing this. These functions form the basis for modern genetic engineering -- that is to say, scientists now piggyback their code on top of these mechanisms to reprogram and remake their own versions of anything. This is why genetically engineered crops and germs are so frightening to ecologists, because mechanisms of a trans-species nature exist, that allow "innovative" functions to appear outside the original species, even without reproduction, then they should be worried.

The recent news is simply that apparantly higher order organisms (plants, animals, humans) are capable of transmitting innovation as well. Rare as this may be, it happens. The speculation is that such transmission functions form the basis of the concept of evolutionary leaps and the explanation of why missing links exist. (The archeological record shows that evolution occurs all at once, across the entire species). Even in computer simulations, evolution looks like a step function. Here is a far fetched example: As weird as it may seem, if one dude in Arkansas is born with say, X-ray vision, in a matter of a couple of generations everybody else will have the ability. Yet, on the other hand, if another dude is born slightly taller, or as a faster runner, there is no evolutionary leap. When an innovative function is "discovered" during evolution, who decides that this function is useful for the species as a whole, in such a manner that the code for it is transmitted out? Who knows?

By the way, the funny thing about Science, is the hidden understanding that when the next best explanation is discovered, it will out of necessity supplant and rip out by the roots the old way. Perhaps nothing in Science can explain what came before the big bang, but not knowing does not cause the current explanation of things to poof away either.

Calvin