bacterial (cellular) intelligence shown to be DNA driven (Animals)

by David Turell , Sunday, December 03, 2017, 15:42 (2546 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: It is exactly the immune system tht makes my point. The newborn mammal is born with antibodies to protect him from his Mother's milk, since he has none of his own. His own cells must be able to learn about infectious elements as they are encountered. His immune cells come with that ability, designed that way. That is how vaccines work as an obvious example. The whole immune system is a perfect example of design.

dhw: It is exactly the immune system that makes my point. If the cells must be able to “learn about infectious elements as they are encountered”, they clearly have the ability to learn and to make adjustments according to what they have learned. That is a fundamental feature of autonomous intelligence. I have never dismissed the case for design. It is your suggestion that the cells are automatons that I oppose. Interfering with DNA does not prove that cells/humans are automatons, and learning by experience suggests that they are endowed with an autonomous (possibly God-given) intelligence.

I agree that the immune cells look as if they contain their own intelligence, but can be programmed that way by design. Kidney cells make decisions all the time to maintain fluid balance and salt levels. They certainly act as if they are intelligent. Their molecular reactons are known to measure levels. For me cells are cells and all are created with purposeful programming. Don't ignore purpose to help explain function.