The simplest explanation? (Evolution)

by David Turell , Monday, October 12, 2020, 16:04 (1501 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: I never objected to Shapiro's theory, but to your gross extrapolation from it of cell intelligence.

David. J. Turell, The Atheist Delusion, p. 142, quoting from James A. Shapiro:

Living cells and organisms are cognitive (sentient) entities that act and interact purposefully to ensure survival, growth and proliferation. They possess sensory, communication, information-processing and decision-making capabilities.

[..] they have the ability to alter their hereditary characteristics rapidly…

Evolutionary novelty arises from the production of new cell and multicellular structures as a result of cellular self-modification functions and cell fusions.

dhw: What gross extrapolation?

DAVID: Those cells he discusses are bacteria.

dhw: Please stop pretending that his theory is confined to bacteria. He has extrapolated from his research and from the research of others that LIVING CELLS AND ORGANISMS ARE COGNITIVE (SENTIENT) BEINGS, and that EVOLUTIONARY NOVELTY ARISES FROM THE PRODUCTION OF NEW CELLS AND MULTICELLULAR STRUCTURES AS A RESULT OF CELLULAR SELF-MODIFICATION.

Your scepticism is no excuse for ignoring his own conclusions and for accusing ME of "gross extrapolation".

I know Shapiro's research and I admire it. But I have the right to my opinion as expressed in the thread on gene loss as a speciation cause:

"Shapiro's theory is another approach, bootstrapping by editing DNA. This is all we have and in comparison I like Behe's approach better since it encompasses a review of genetic evidence. Shapiro is an extrapolation from free-living bacteria. And all Lenski has shown in his E. coli studies is some mutational adaptations in the same species."