slime mold intelligence transfers (Introduction)

by David Turell , Saturday, December 31, 2016, 01:13 (2883 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: My definition of organismal 'intelligence', in this case the slime mold, is always the same: the mold runs on intelligent information in its genome it has received. The mold is not innately intelligent just as bacteria are not independently intelligent, but run on received intelligently crafted information.

dhw: I have attempted to define intelligence as “the autonomous ability to absorb and process information, learn, communicate, cooperate, and take decisions based on the information absorbed, processed and learned.” According to my definition, the mold and bacteria are intelligent. The statement that they are not intelligent does not constitute an alternative definition of intelligence. If you accept my definition, please explain how “intelligent” information processes information, learns, communicates and takes decisions.

I know you do not like the concept of 'information' as the basis of the genomic controls of life, but there are research scientists who study Shannon information theory and other forms of information theory as directly related to the information the genome carries. The process is entirely automatic in its use of the original information. All of the articles I present in the thread of genetic complexity shows this.

dhw: The ‘something’ you are missing with your 100% belief in the automaticity of bacteria – .... – is the perfectly rational observation that intelligent behaviour might be a sign of intelligence. You even acknowledge 50/50, and yet insist on 100!

You are perfectly correct. From the outside it is either/or, 50/50%. But that does not tell us what is truly happening on the inside. I have pointed out over and over that all that is ever found is molecular reactions when looking inside. Those reactions are guided by information in all the layers of the genome, only a portion of which are fully understood so far. My opinion of 100% is my prediction for the endpoint of full understanding of how living cells work.