Immunity system complexity: how T cells are triggered (Introduction)

by David Turell , Friday, April 05, 2019, 15:24 (2059 days ago) @ dhw

dhw: He actually says that cells ‘think’ with chemical reactions, but even if he were to say unequivocally as you do that “cells do not think”, I would not regard him as the ultimate authority, especially bearing in mind that the majority of scientists apparently disagree with you. In any case, it is you who constantly point out that there is no way of knowing for sure whether cells think or not (hence your 50/50), just as there is no way of knowing for sure whether human thought is the product or the driver of chemical (re)actions. However, if cells do not think, you can only fall back on your hypothesis of a 3.8-billion-year-old programme for immunity against every disease (although the programme fails to work whenever the organism dies), or your God dabbling whenever a new disease appears. I wonder if Groves would agree with that.

DAVID: Thank you for returning to the original quote, in which he obviously used the word 'think' allegorically. How do you know how the 'majority of scientists' would interpret his statement? My guess is they would use my interpretation.

dhw: I am not talking about how they would interpret his statement! I am talking about your own authoritative declaration that “cells do not think”, and you have called on Groves’ statement to support you. By your own admission, your rejection of the concept of cellular intelligence puts you in a minority among the scientific community. That does not mean you are wrong, but even if Groves were to agree with you, and even if he were to embrace your belief in a divine 3.8-billion-year-old immunity programme for every disease in the history of life, or in divine dabbling with the cells of billions of organisms whenever the system he created throws up new diseases, I’m afraid your belief and his would still not give you the authority to inform us that “cells do not think”.

But I still can voice my opinion and believe in it .