Cell Memories (Identity)

by dhw, Tuesday, July 08, 2014, 12:40 (3790 days ago) @ David Turell

dhw; Of course, all biochemists will describe automatic biochemical reactions, since all living organisms (including ourselves) depend on automatic biochemical reactions. But there may be more to cells than automatic biochemical reactions, which may be why Shapiro describes all cells as sentient beings, and talks of the possibility that intelligent cellular action has a role to play in evolution. -DAVID: A new article showing automatic protein chemical reactions in cells, destroy bad proteins or die?-http://www.the-scientist.com//?articles.view/articleNo/40418/title/Protein-Helps-Cells-...-Why do you insert the word automatic? When neuroscientists trace chemical reactions in the human brain, are these the cause of or the response to intelligent thought? I'm not denying that cellular “intelligence” is difficult to define, and it should certainly not be equated with the self-awareness of human intelligence. Nor do I deny that much of cellular activity is automatic. The cellular community that is “me” depends on a vast range of automatic cellular activities. But that doesn't make “me” an automaton. The same argument applies to cells in general, according to such experts in the field as Shapiro, Margulis and Albrecht-Buehler. I don't know if they're right. I'm a layman. Nor do I know how much original research you've done in the field, but why should I dismiss their findings just because you insert the word “automatic”? The application of “cellular intelligence” to evolution solves many of the problems associated with the theory, so why not at least keep an open mind?