Cell Memories (Identity)

by Balance_Maintained , U.S.A., Sunday, December 15, 2013, 02:40 (3995 days ago) @ xeno6696

Matt: Why? It strikes me as quite obvious that the information loop between the outside environment and the neuron is part of an irreducible whole. Either the cells are automatons or they're not. Encoding chemical information that that wolf is going to eat me triggers a cascade of autonomic responses that however you want to slice it, results in the image of the wolf being stored in our neurons. The same neurons are responsible for my making a plan of building a wooden shelter and a fire, getting access to the materials, and ultimately executing the plan.
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> You're not making your case any stronger here. All of these processes that neurons perform, have finite inputs and outputs, mediated by the existence of multiple kinds of chemicals, but still limited all the same. What you're really saying here, is that a cell is a program that acts intelligently. But like I said before, I can write an unconscious program that acts intelligently. I don't think you're any further out of the mire here. --Except that in your case, you are able to choose. You are able to overcome your pre-defined instinctual fight-or-flight responses and come up with a novel solution. You see the hungry wolf. Your primal brain kicks in and you instantaneously go into fight or flight mode. Then your conscious brain kicks in, and you choose to do neither, opting instead to throw the wolf a chicken leg from your Sunday picnic basket, or to bang sticks together hoping to frighten it away, or stand their calmly, doing nothing.

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What is the purpose of living? How about, 'to reduce needless suffering. It seems to me to be a worthy purpose.