Quorum sensing; fights viral infections (Introduction)

by David Turell , Sunday, November 20, 2016, 15:15 (2925 days ago) @ dhw

QUOTE: “The team's research shows that by openly communicating with each other, bacteria strike the right balance between these two outcomes."

David’s comment: Quorum sensing occurs as bacteria gather in numbers and sense chemicals from each other. In this case the CRISPR-Cas mechanisms modifies the DNA to accept info about previous viral attacks. This is exactly as Shapiro would predict they do, modifying DNA to respond to stimuli.

dhw: Yes, indeed. And Shapiro believes bacteria are intelligent beings. All physical processes, including our own, involve the use of chemicals. With larger organisms, you accept that when decisions are made, the use of chemicals is directed by an intelligent mind. But you insist that an intelligent mind demands a brain, except that you believe in an afterlife, which means that an intelligent mind does not demand a brain:

Jesse Bering (Under “Afterlife: sceptical thought”): My bet remains that immortal souls — yours, mine, and Ian Stevenson’s — are but the elusive shadows dancing on the walls of our physical brains.

Dualism solves all! As for Shapiro he says bacteria are sentient, which means they receive stimuli and properly respond to them by modifying their own DNA, nothing more.