Genome complexity: how humans correct errors; dhw confusion (Introduction)

by dhw, Saturday, November 14, 2020, 11:45 (1471 days ago) @ David Turell

dhw: I have absolutely no idea why a divine 3.8-billion-year-old programme for every single life form, econiche, strategy and natural wonder in the history of life on Earth, or a vast number of individual operations on legs and brains and pelvises, and lectures delivered on nest-building etc., should be regarded as more “logical” than the invention of an intelligent mechanism capable of doing its own designing.

DAVID: It is an issue of direct control or second-hand control, and how views a purposeful God.

Agreed. How does that make direct control more “logical” than allowing organisms to do their own designing, especially if you claim that your controlling God’s goal was to directly design humans, and he did this by directly designing millions of branches of life that had no connection with humans.

dhw: I remain baffled by your reference to “dhw confusion” in the heading of this thread.

DAVID: Go back in recent history and fix your memory. You put the wrong answer under this heading:
Genome complexity: how humans correct errors - dhw, 2020-11-08, 08:41.

Here is the post:
QUOTE: "It is probably most accurate to say that primary and secondary emotions have phenomenal consciousness (experiential feeling), but lack access consciousness (the ability to rationally access, manipulate and reflect upon emotions).

dhw: This is what I mean when I talk of different levels of intelligence/consciousness. But in the context of evolution, the basic drive is not confined to the brain and the exploitation of resources (i.e. finding food) – it also encompasses finding different modes of survival (e.g. avoiding predators, using or building shelters, countering every threat to existence). And I would suggest that this all begins at cellular level, with “phenomenally conscious” cells cooperating over billions of years to form increasingly complex structures, INCLUDING the brain and every other organ we know of and every other life form we know of. This is the “continuum” of evolution that David talks of, as organisms branch out into an ever more variegated bush, with just one of millions of “lines” leading to humans. The cell communities that form the brain itself would have followed precisely the same process of complexification as they responded to new requirements, including control of their new organs. The brains of most life forms would have settled once they had achieved “satisfaction and homeostasis” but, as we know, the human brain continued to expand as “access consciousness” enabled early humans to rationalize and manipulate – not just in terms of reflecting on emotions etc, but also reflecting on and implementing new methods of surviving and/or exploiting their environment.

Please pinpoint what you consider to be “confused”.

Under: "Sensory neurons do more than accept":
QUOTE: "The findings suggest that the sensory cortex is not just sensory, as previously thought. Instead of responding only to stimuli around us, Dr. Maravall's study suggests that the sensory neurons are also involved in processing the meaning of the stimuli, and planning the subsequent behavioural responses."

dhw: Wow, we have cells processing information and planning what to do with it. Sounds like intelligence to me.

DAVID: Why not? God designed them that way.

You could hardly have clearer signs of intelligence than processing information and planning what to do with it. This is the focal point of our discussion and, as an agnostic, I have no problem with your proposal that your God designed the intelligence of cells.