MESSRS Taylor and Barnes's pretence of scientific knowledge in support of creationism is comical (Letters, March 19).

It is the second law of thermodynamics and not the third, as he says, that covers entropy and this is applicable only to closed systems.

The planet earth on its own cannot be considered a closed system with the effects of chaos, let alone the universe, and so the law is not applicable.

As for missing links or what are technically called 'transitional forms', the literature is full of them and where gaps occur this is nothing unexpected, it's just a case of more rapid and episodic change or punctuated equilibrium.

Science is not yet equipped to answer the ultimate questions perhaps, but at least it looks for proof or disproof and is ever-changing as new evidence appears.

Creationism has no scientific basis nor can ever achieve that, being more a case of faith or religion.

Mick Phythian,

Monkton Road,

York.

Updated: 10:57 Tuesday, April 02, 2002