Miscellaneous (General)

by David Turell , Friday, November 22, 2024, 21:33 (5 hours, 33 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

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

dhw: The work of the molecules triggers specific responses. Something within the cell has to process the new information and decide on the appropriate responses. We have no idea what that “something” is, but some scientists believe it is a form of intelligence. You tell us that somehow the molecules automatically switch on the right instructions which your God planted inside the first cells 3.8 billion years ago, or he has just popped in to make the decision for them.

You've summarized my position.

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: You inflated the floating time. About 300,000,000 years is theorized. God wasting time is your complaint about God.
Later (under LUCA):
DAVID: You forget the issue is the Earth, 4.5 billion year old. That's 300,000,000 years to achieve life.

dhw: I think we’re both confused over the maths. If life began 3.8 billion years ago, and the Earth formed 4.5 billion years ago, then it took your God 700,000,000 years to achieve life (I think!). But I’m not complaining. I’m asking you a question (see above) which you can’t answer, just as you can’t answer why your God would create billions of galaxies if he only wanted one. These are arguments against the very existence of your God, as follows (under “The Milky Way”):

The article mentioned life at 4.2 bya. You human view of billions of galaxies does not know how important all those galaxies are. God knows

DAVID: as usual the Milky Way stands out as unusual. From the designer standpoint the Milky Way must protect the Earth and that explains the differences.

dhw: From the agnostic and atheist standpoint, why would a designer design billions of galaxies if his one and only reason for designing life was to design humans and our food?

Again, your tiny mind knows better than God's.

Introducing the brain: consciousness as ephaptic fields

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.

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

dhw: That is the theory of dualism. Materialism is the theory that neurons create it. The article does not claim that neurons receive consciousness.

All I said was the new field could receive consciousness,

Different birds build different nests

QUOTE: Researchers analyzed more than 400 structures built by 43 different groups of White-browed Sparrow-Weavers in the Kalahari Desert

DAVID: Not rigid like the weaverbirds, these birds sort of build whatever they wish. It is as if the DNA says build whatever you wish, as long as it is effective.

dhw: Yes indeed. One might even believe that different organisms have an inbuilt intelligence which enables them to do their own designing. A very different theory from that of a dear friend of mine, who is convinced that, for instance, the weaverbird could only have built its nest if it followed his God’s instructions.

In that instance the weaverbirds only followed one designated design.