Genome complexity: modifying RNA controls of genes (Introduction)

by dhw, Tuesday, April 11, 2017, 11:57 (2544 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: The Octopus intelligence article was fascinating and their antics in labs was featured in the movie "Finding Nemo". But cells which have a brilliant set of instructions in their genomes will fool outsiders into thinking they are innately intelligent.

dhw: Clear choice then: a) they ARE innately intelligent (and their intelligence may have been given to them by your God); b) 3.8 billion years ago your God preprogrammed every decision they take; c) your (hidden) God has always made and is currently making every decision for them. Please tell us which of these you think is most likely.

DAVID: Choice 'b' is correct in my thinking. They are programmed to run their lives automaticaly, and that makes them look intelligent.

QUOTE (under “Dolphin eats octopus”): "Octopus shaking and tossing is yet another example that illustrates how intelligent and adaptable these charismatic marine predators are."
DAVID’s comment: Bigger brains can think and find solutions.

“Large organisms chauvinism”! I wonder where you draw the line. Insects have smaller brains, and appear to think and find solutions. Bacteria have no brains, but appear to think and find solutions. One might argue that if organisms appear to think and find solutions, maybe they do think and find solutions. Alternatively, if smaller ones have been preprogrammed to look as if they think but they don’t, maybe bigger ones have been preprogrammed to look as if they think but they don’t. Your God can do anything, so if bacteria are mere automatons, why not you and me, brother?

I’ll be very bold here. It seems to me that if organisms behave as if they are intelligent - i.e. they are able to solve problems, take decisions, respond to their surroundings and adapt their behaviour accordingly – the least one can do is allow for the possibility that they ARE intelligent.


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