Bacterial Intelligence? making decisions chemically (General)

by David Turell , Monday, April 29, 2019, 18:13 (2033 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: Chemical sensing and reactions guide bacteria:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190423133557.htm

QUOTE: “Although they are considered the simplest of all life forms, even microorganisms sense their environment and are able to actively move within it. This allows them to identify both food and harmful substances and to move towards or away from them, guided by the concentration gradient of the substance in their environment. The journey of many microbes can thus be viewed as a sequence of decisions based on chemical gradients[/b].” (David’s bold)

dhw: Just like humans, they make their decisions according to the conditions, and the rest of the article shows how even individuals with the same genome may have different perceptions and responses.

QUOTE: "If you look with the appropriate technology, you'll find astonishing behavioural differences even within a population of genetically identical cells,"

QUOTE: “Diversity, or heterogeneity, of chemotaxis may provide an evolutionary advantage for the bacteria, since although those skilled at chemotaxis can quickly locate and exploit locally stable food sources, their sister cells less affected by the attractant are more likely to venture into new territory, where they may encounter additional food sources in a constantly changing environment.”

dhw: Yep, that’s how evolution seems to work: individuals differ, and their different responses to changing conditions trigger new behaviour which, in more complex cell communities might even lead to innovation.

Are you sure the behaviour is 'new'or simply different among different individuals. After all we are seeing is a study about variations in the same bacterial species.

DAVID: Note that this study shows chemical decisions caused by underlying variations in bacteria of their genetic makeup. It adds to my evidence as to why antibiotic resistance develops. The 'intelligence' of their decisions is all in their individual makeup.

dhw; That is precisely the argument used by materialists, who claim that our intelligence and “free will” depend on our individual material makeup. Science can only observe the actions and reactions of materials, and of course it is possible that both bacteria and humans are merely the product of those materials. However, if you regard information-processing, communication, decision-making etc. as attributes of autonomous intelligence, you can also argue that both bacteria and humans are intelligent regardless of the source of that intelligence. Indeed, it appears that the majority of scientists today favour the concept of bacterial intelligence, but of course that does not mean you are wrong.

Our intelligence and free will have to do with our consciousness. What a stretch of comparisons! You suggest by your comparison bacteria are somehow conscious.