Brain complexity: gene response to light stimuli (Introduction)

by David Turell , Wednesday, February 14, 2018, 01:45 (2475 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: In my theory God manages or runs evolution. It does not run itself by chance. A newly enlarged, more complex brain is evolved from a previous smaller less complex brain by God. Implementation results in automatic plasticity changes which may shrink earch stage of brain slightly, as based on current scientific fact.

dhw: In my theory (theistic version) your God created life and the mechanisms for evolution. It does not run itself by chance but by the God-given intelligence with which organisms cope with or exploit ever changing environments. The latter may be subject to chance, and you can’t make up your own mind whether they are or are not controlled by your God. And yes, yes, yes, implementation RESULTS in changes. It does not precede changes. Current scientific fact tells us that the change resulting from implementation is COMPLEXIFICATION, which I suggest is so efficient that it has also caused shrinkage. This process may also have occurred in pre-sapiens until expansion became necessary (in both hypotheses). There is no scientific evidence whatsoever that any changes take place BEFORE implementation, whereas your theory is that enlargement (which occurs in both hypotheses) did take place before implementation: the exact opposite of your own statement above that implementation RESULTS in changes. (See also “big brain evolution”.)

DAVID: The part in bold of your statement is a complete misinterpretation of my view. My point is simple. At each stage in the size of brain as human evolution proceeded, that size had plasticity and could modify with new implementations. It might even shrink slightly as we see in the sapiens level of development.

dhw: Until now, I have always understood your hypothesis to be that your God enlarged the brains of pre-sapiens BEFORE the hominins had their new concepts.

I've not changed. New enlarged brain in a next step to sapiens can now conceive of new concepts and implementation may result in some shrinkage as in sapiens.

dhw: My argument has been that the enlargement came about through the implementation of new concepts, i.e. that all “modifications” (enlargement, complexification, shrinkage) are the RESULT of implementation.

I can accept as modification a few new neurons. many new axons and connections and at times shrinkage. A mind filled with unfulfilled concepts cannot drive enlargement of brain and skull pan. Neurons are neurons, not a planning design committee.