Convergence or divergence? (Introduction)

by dhw, Tuesday, September 10, 2013, 20:01 (4092 days ago) @ David Turell

dhw: I'm trying to understand why you think the ability to solve problems, invent useful organs, adapt to different environments and different challenges, shows that the cells and cell communities concerned have no intelligence of their own. -DAVID: They have planted information in the DNA which allows them to follow certain paths. They know to use information. They do not initially develop the information.-I also have information in my DNA which I inherited (i.e. I did not "initially develop it"). It came from Mummy and Daddy, who got it from their Mummies and Daddies and so on. It allows me to follow certain paths, but not to follow others. I can't fly or breathe underwater or live in an ant colony. But I know how to use the information I have, and that is why I am able to solve (some) problems, invent (a few) things, (sometimes) adapt to different environments and challenges. If I do so, I'm regarded as intelligent (at least by me), but if cells and ants do it, apparently they're not.
 
*****-Thank you for the lovely guppy article. It's generous of you to allow me a point, but let me reciprocate by twisting the above argument. If cells are preprogrammed, so are humans. In other words, "Casanovas are liars" because their cells are preprogrammed to make them do whatever it takes to get the girl!