Quorum sensing; fights viral infections (Introduction)

by dhw, Monday, November 21, 2016, 12:46 (2924 days ago) @ David Turell

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. [...}

DAVID: {...} 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.

As quoted on 10 November (my bold):

Exeter meeting: "...we have a great deal to learn about chemistry, physics and evolution from our small, but very intelligent, prokaryotic relatives."

Shapiro: 'Evolution: A view from the 21st century' (p. 143): “Living cells and organisms are cognitive (sentient) entities that act and interact purposefully to ensure survival, growth and proliferation. They possess corresponding sensory, communication, information-processing, and decision-making capabilities.”

I know you don’t believe in cellular intelligence, but please stop pretending that when Shapiro says cells are very intelligent, he means they are not intelligent.