Miscellaneous (General)

by David Turell , Thursday, November 21, 2024, 21:49 (7 hours, 18 minutes ago) @ dhw

Immune system complexity: sniffing out invaders

QUOTE: […] the reflected spectrum changed in a different way after introducing the E. coli LPS than after adding their Salmonella counterparts." This suggests that the same receptor is activated by different molecules in different ways and then triggers specific responses depending on the signal." (David’s bold)

DAVID: these reactions are very specific and suggest strongly that they were designed.

dhw: They suggest strongly that the cells know exactly what they are doing, as they change their responses according to the nature of the problem. The ability to process information and decide on the best solution to a particular problem is a clear indication of intelligence.

The bold shows it is an at an automatic molecular level.

Theoretical origin of life: Space is filled with organics

dhw: why did he leave them floating around for about 1000,000,000 years, and then use them to create and cull all kinds of life forms, if all he wanted to do was create us and our food?

DAVID: God chose to evolve us for His own reasons. We are the final step in evolution.
And:
DAVID: And you are dead against recognizing evolution is over.

dhw: Irrelevant to the question at the head of this post, which you are so desperate to avoid.

You inflated the floating time. About 300,000,000 years is theorized. God wasting time is your complaint about God.

Introducing the brain: consciousness as ephaptic fields

DAVID: All I said was this h=new field is a place where consciousness might fit in.

dhw: You said that the article “comfortably fits my underlying dualism”. If neurons are the source of consciousness, I don’t see how this can be said to support dualism.

The theory is the neurons receive consciousness, not create it.

LUCA latest

https://www.quantamagazine.org/all-life-on-earth-today-descended-from-a-single-cell

DAVID: this is not origin of life research but the implication of such an early start is amazing. This universe was prepared for life to appear quickly. With ecosystems forming early.

dhw: The universe is thought to be 13.7 billion years old. The article estimates that life began 4.2 billion years ago. How does that amount to quick preparation for life?

You forget the issue is the Earth, 4.5 billion year old. That's 300,000,000 years to achieve life.

QUOTE: "If that timeline is right, life had only a couple hundred million years to emerge and become fairly complex."

dhw: The theory that life began with a single cell (perhaps equipped with “a rudimentary immune system”) and that it complexified relatively quickly ties in with the suggestion that the original cells were already equipped with the mechanisms for evolution. Not much of an advert for Darwin’s random mutations, but a good basis for the Margulis/McLintock/Sheldrake concept of cellular intelligence (perhaps designed by your God).

Or just God working the designs.