Natures wonders: Cellular intelligence derailed? (Introduction)

by dhw, Sunday, December 15, 2013, 14:52 (3994 days ago) @ Balance_Maintained

DHW (to Tony, under "Nature's Wonders: Crocodile tools"): You and David are happy to describe computerized learning as Artificial Intelligence, but when the procedures are carried out by a living organism with a live memory, ability to perceive, process and communicate data, make decisions, pass data across generations, suddenly these attributes no longer signify intelligence! 
DHW: I am disappointed that neither of you has responded to this.-TONY: I did not coin the phrase 'Artificial Intelligence' and have repeatedly stated a need to distinguish between different levels of intelligence/consciousness. Also, see the link where major responses by hundreds of cells are controlled by two neurons. No intelligence, simple guided automatons. -I'm very happy with your acknowledgement that there are different levels of intelligence, but I'd prefer if possible to avoid "consciousness", because David likes to equate that with human self-awareness, whereas I associate it just with awareness, e.g. of the environment (including other organisms). My argument is that perception, processing and communication of data, decision-making, cooperation etc. are attributes of intelligence, and these attributes are present in all organisms from bacteria through to humans. This is also illustrated by the example you refer to:-TONY: Surprising Discovery: Multi-cellular response is all for one
"The Northwestern researchers demonstrated something very unexpected in their studies of the worm C. elegans: Authority is taken away from individual cells and given to two specialized neurons to sense temperature stress and organize an integrated molecular response for the entire organism."
Is this a shot in the foot for DHW's theory?-I would take it to be an illustration of how unicellularity and multicellularity both work. Within the single cell is an intelligent control centre (Albrecht-Buehler says it's the centrosome); within multicellular organisms there must also be an intelligent control centre. In organisms like dogs, corvids and humans we assume it is the brain. In C. elegans it appears to be bound up with two neurons which assume "authority" and "organize" the response of the entire organism. The other cells will obey their commands, just as my legs obey when my brain passes on the message that "I" want to walk. In other words, individual cells have their own intelligence, but when they merge into cell communities, they take on different functions, and these are organized by an independent, overall intelligence within or "emerging" from that community. "Multicellular response is all for one" sums it up nicely. Otherwise the organism couldn't function! Again, the ant colony provides the perfect analogy.