Early embryology; requires brain input: (Introduction)

by David Turell , Saturday, May 04, 2019, 18:50 (2030 days ago) @ dhw

QUOTE:'The spontaneous activity of the thalamus is not something circumstantial, but contains important information for the construction of the brain during embryonic development. It was previously thought that neuronal circuits were built on a genetic imprint and that the postnatal sensory experience ends up defining the maps. This work questions this vision because it demonstrates the existence of these maps before birth,"; says Lopez-Bendito. "Our results indicate that the spontaneous thalamic activity during the embryonic phase is essential for the normal development of the brain, defining what in neurobiology is called a critical period, i.e. a period of time in which plastic changes are possible but after which alterations would be irreparable"; she adds." (David's bold)

DAVID: Arranging for maps of the body surface in the brain's cortex through information in the genome requires coordinated planning and requires complex design to develop. The thought that cellular intelligence is capable of doing this is unreasonable. Cellular intelligence can reasonably make minor adaptations within species, no more.

dhw: Your usual assumption that you know what is reasonable, and anyone who disagrees with you is unreasonable. All of these processes must have had a beginning, and once a process is successful, then it will be passed on and must automatically follow the same course if it is to survive. It is the origin of each complexity that calls for intelligence, though intelligence may also be called on when environmental conditions require or allow change. The more complex the organ, the more complex the combination or map of information will have to be, both before and after birth. How does this make cellular intelligence as the origin of each complexity less reasonable than your God's 3.8-billion-year-old programme for every single one?

What we are debating is the necessity of a planning mind to arrange for the complex designs we see as evolution advances for simple to very complex. You have extrapolated simple cellular responses, which have the appearance of intellectual guidance because they are purposeful in their results, to the suggestion they can actually plan for the future complexities. I find that idea as totally fanciful. I see the mind of God as necessary. We will never be able to reach an agreement on the point of how speciation works.