[kooler] Genes (Was: Walmart)

[DJA]

Stewart Stremler wrote:
> begin  quoting Todd Walton as of Tue, Jun 07, 2005 at 07:51:24AM -0700:
> 
>>On 6/7/05, Stewart Stremler <bofh at stremler.net> wrote:
>>
> 
> Thus, the "goal" of a gene is to replicate itself.
> 
> Given a goal, we can talk about other fuzzy concepts, such as "want",
> as in "a gene wants to replicate itself", or "care", as in "a gene
> only cares about those things that lets it replicate itself better".
> 
> In that sense, a gene doesn't _care_ about your quality of life, it
> only cares about replicating itself.

A discussion of metaphysics would invite dissent to this postulate. :^P


> As you point out, genes don't _actually_ care. (In fact, according to
> some people, _nobody_ *actually* cares, it's all just deterministic
> biology, and we're little meat puppets.)

The idea of a puppet demands and presupposes a puppeteer.


>>begin  quoting DJA as of Mon, Jun 06, 2005 at 11:22:42PM -0700:
>>
>>>Indeed, it's a wonder that the populations of these backwaters haven't
>>>died off centuries ago and the land gone back to jungle.
>>
>>This is what you were responding to.  I think your comment was a non
>>sequitur, that's all.
> 
> 
> It may _look_ like one, but I don't think it is. It may have been a bit
> of a leap, however. :)
> 
> -Stewart "I leap, you plod, he trips." Stremler

Of course, DJA's remark was intended sarcasm.

-- 
    Best Regards,
       ~DJA.