[QuarianRex]

Originally posted by Alpha Kodiak:
For the person whose world view does not allow for the supernatural, the only possible explanation is some variant of random chance. There may be a variety of possibilities there, as well, but in the end, it had to be random chance.

Not necessarily. It's not necessarily a matter of chaos vs. the Hand of God (or what have you). I read a book called Non-Zero by Robert Wright that looks at evolution (all evolution, biological, mental, cultural, etc.) from the perspective of game theory.

For those who don't know, game theory can be broken down into two parts, zero sum and non-zero sum. Zero sum games (or anything else) occur when the success of one side equals the failure of the other (eg. sports, wars, etc.). Non-zero sum is when the victory for one side is a victory for all (eg. the astronauts on Apollo 13 were playing a very non-zero sum game when they were trying to figure out how to get back to earth alive). His premise is that all things tend toward greater and greater complexity and that those complex systems that operate in a non-zero sum capacity are the ones that survive and prosper (in the long term).

He applies this concept to evolution, cultural development, etc., showing a fascinating trend in all complex systems. He does a very good job of showing that life itself has a direction though not necessarily a divine one.

Its a suprisingly good read. Wright has a conversational writing style that conveys what might otherwise be dry material.