Cambrian Explosion: afterthought (Introduction)

by David Turell , Wednesday, October 02, 2013, 18:45 (4049 days ago) @ dhw


> dhw: From the very beginning, I have emphasized that my concept of intelligence does not involve self-awareness. .....In other words, your starting point is that only humans are intelligent. You did give crows and orang-utans a glimmer of a concession, but so far as we know even they don't analyse concepts or formulate theories or write novels and symphonies or ask questions about the universe.-Of course whole multicellular organisms, as you describe, have some ability at decision-making. but you are confusing the issue. I've been arguing about single cells or one-celled organisms. They are automatons.-> 
> dhw:Since according to your definition, only humans are intelligent, we must conclude that your God has preprogrammed every other living organism to do whatever it does. Come to think of it, that may well include humans.... After all, you may be nothing but a collection of unintelligent, robotic cell communities.-As stated above, stop confusing two levels of biology. I am arguing at the cellular level for one-celled organisms. That was the lecture bBella presented.