In Reply to: Re: Intelligent design as a course posted by Observer on April 02, 2006 at 14:38:16:
Statistics is an empirical method. The statistician basically calculates the odds of an event-based model (such as panspermia) to demonstrate the probability that life originates from space.
The hard evidence at this point for panspermia is inconclusive. There are meteorites that appear to have proteins and/or bacteria imbedded in them, but this evidence is debated.
Punctuated equilibrium can also be demonstrated through statiscal models--unlike ID. I think the hard evidence for punctuated quilibrium can be found in eco-system modeling, where enough small changes take place and bam! the whole thing morphs into a new & different eco-system.