Darwin's Discovery: Design without a Designer

[austintorn@aol.com]

Early Sapiens

[Lloyd Gillespie]

In accordance with the general climate of thinking in mid nineteenth century England, Darwin proposed a theory of natural selection and evolution, in which the unit of survival was either the family line or species of sub-species or something of that sort. But today it is quite obvious that this is not the unit of survival in the real biological world. The unit of survival is organism plus environment. We are learning by bitter experience that the organism that destroys its environment destroys itself. (Bateson, 1972, p. 459)

We have to move from just fighting for saving this species or that, to working with the preservation and development of living ecologies; from thinking of the environment as a thing, to seeing that it is a complex web of connections; from seeing it as other to experiencing it as part of us. There is no self, no nature, only nature self.

[leskey]

"And so ends, perhaps, this claim of mammalian uniqueness,"

Our Brains Are More Like Birds' Than We Thought


CLICK ...

cool bananas ... greg

There are too many ill-informed assumptions in this article.

The similarity of 'bird brains,' both human and chicken, is due to the fact that both species have configured similarities in brain type due to their musical adaptation capacities.

[austintorn@aol.com]

Long ago…

[labelwench]

In accordance with the general climate of thinking in mid nineteenth century England, Darwin proposed a theory of natural selection and evolution, in which the unit of survival was either the family line or species of sub-species or something of that sort. But today it is quite obvious that this is not the unit of survival in the real biological world. The unit of survival is organism plus environment. We are learning by bitter experience that the organism that destroys its environment destroys itself. (Bateson, 1972, p. 459)

We have to move from just fighting for saving this species or that, to working with the preservation and development of living ecologies; from thinking of the environment as a thing, to seeing that it is a complex web of connections; from seeing it as other to experiencing it as part of us. There is no self, no nature, only nature self.

The environment, any environment, is greater than the sum of it's parts, though we seek to understand each component by studying it in isolation.

It is the relationships that we must study, more so than the components, IMO, if we are to gain an appreciation for where best to place our efforts in living in harmony with the planet and with each other.

Every creature and element serves a purpose and when we interfere with even the least of these, we set in motion a series of events that may take a lengthy interval to become evident and may be impossible to reverse.

I am not suggesting that we take no action, merely that there will be consequences that we should be expecting.

[SteveA]

The environment, any environment, is greater than the sum of it's parts, though we seek to understand each component by studying it in isolation.

It is the relationships that we must study, more so than the components, IMO, if we are to gain an appreciation for where best to place our efforts in living in harmony with the planet and with each other.

Every creature and element serves a purpose and when we interfere with even the least of these, we set in motion a series of events that may take a lengthy interval to become evident and may be impossible to reverse.

I am not suggestion that we take no action, merely that there will be consequences that we should be expecting.

At a minimum, a more immediate gain that occurs by trying to take a more 'wholistic' view is that ones actions aren't within a small and isolated context of "I'd don't why. I just did it", but instead life becomes more filled with meaning and purpose and whether or not the intentions are realized, it then becomes "I know why I did it (or at least tried) and I'd do it the same way because ..." and that makes a world of difference in how life is experienced. It's like reading a sentence at a time in a story and never seeing it fit together versus reading multiple meanings into every sentence and seeing how these relate to everyday life etc. Maybe noone ever needed color television, but it's certainly at least different than black and white and can convey qualities that black and white can't.

I agree that taking actions within a limited context can often be counterproductive as well. It's easy to move forward in one direction, but if that means moving backward in 3 other directions, then there's a problem and to be more effective it's better to see more of the influences one has and understand how these influence multiple areas simultaneously. The subconscious does this well, on the fly and simply as a reflex ... but what trains the subconscious mind and determines the direction it grows? That appears to be conscious awareness and what we choose to focus on and consider important or worth investing our time and efforts into.

Though most actions are largely determined by subconscious influences, in the long run it's the conscious attention and decisions that determine what those reflexes will be.

[leskey]

In light of previous posts, this may be of some interest, Greg.

In Vivo Evidence of Structural Brain Asymmetry in Musicians:
http://gottfriedschlaug.org/musician...ance_1995a.pdf

Although the entire article is worth reading, I noted the following as it relates to many posts on the forum regarding left/right brain function:

Asymmetry of the PT has been increasingly accepted as a substrate of left hemisphere dominance for language-related auditory processing because (i) asymmetry of the PT first appears in primates, suggesting a relation with the evolution of language; (ii) the left PT coincides with the center of Wernicke's speech area as identified by lesion studies; (iii) macroscopic asymmetry of the PT correlates with cytoarchitectonic asymmetry of association cortices thought to play a role in higher order auditory processing; and (iv) asymmmetry of the PT is correlated with handedness, with left-handers being anotomically more symmetrical.

Rightward deviation from the usual pattern of cerebral asymmetry may be associated with increased giftedness for talents for which the right hemisphere is assumed to be important. This propsed relation has been partially substantiated by connections between nonrighthandedness, atypical visuospatial lateralization, spatial giftedness, and musical talent.

This has lead me into another domain...the manner in which peculiar asymmetry in physiology can be used to individual best advantage, raises the topic of asymmetry and the generation of torsional fields:

http://www.valdostamuseum.org/hamsmith/topolophys.html

Saul-Paul Sirag says, about torsion and curvature:

"... if a space is curved, it is impossible to compare two distant vectors without some method of parallel transport of vectors throughout the curved space. The amount of curvature is a measure of the mismatch of a vector with a copy of itself which has undergone a complete circuit. ... The parallel transport is provided by a structure which is added to the manifold and is called the connection. In the theory of general relativity, the connection is provided by an object calledthe Christoffel symbol G_ij^k. This is a very compact notation for a set of 40 (= 64 -24) functions on the 4-d spacetime. If the symbol carried two asymmetric lower indices, there would be 64 (= 4 x 4 x 4) functions; but the symmetry of the lower indices reduces the independent functions to 40. The standard Christoffel symbol of general relativity is symmetric in the two lower indicies i,j, and generates a connection called the Levi-Civita connection. However, there are geometries for which an asymmetic Christoffel symbol is employed in addition to the the symmetric Christoffel symbol. The asymmetry is carried by a tensor T called the torsion...

BTW, it's good to know you're on the mend and will be back on the forum soon...

[labelwench]

BTW, it's good to know you're on the mend and will be back on the forum soon...
Originally posted by Leskey.

May the four elements attend you, and Nature heal you.

[Mikal]

In light of previous posts, this may be of some interest, Greg.

In Vivo Evidence of Structural Brain Asymmetry in Musicians:
http://gottfriedschlaug.org/musician...ance_1995a.pdf

Although the entire article is worth reading, I noted the following as it relates to many posts on the forum regarding left/right brain function:

Asymmetry of the PT has been increasingly accepted as a substrate of left hemisphere dominance for language-related auditory processing because (i) asymmetry of the PT first appears in primates, suggesting a relation with the evolution of language; (ii) the left PT coincides with the center of Wernicke's speech area as identified by lesion studies; (iii) macroscopic asymmetry of the PT correlates with cytoarchitectonic asymmetry of association cortices thought to play a role in higher order auditory processing; and (iv) asymmmetry of the PT is correlated with handedness, with left-handers being anotomically more symmetrical.

Rightward deviation from the usual pattern of cerebral asymmetry may be associated with increased giftedness for talents for which the right hemisphere is assumed to be important. This propsed relation has been partially substantiated by connections between nonrighthandedness, atypical visuospatial lateralization, spatial giftedness, and musical talent.

This has lead me into another domain...the manner in which perculiar asymmetry in physiology can be used to individual best advantage, raises the topic of asymmetry and the generation of torsional fields:

http://www.valdostamuseum.org/hamsmith/topolophys.html

Saul-Paul Sirag says, about torsion and curvature:

"... if a space is curved, it is impossible to compare two distant vectors without some method of parallel transport of vectors throughout the curved space. The amount of curvature is a measure of the mismatch of a vector with a copy of itself which has undergone a complete circuit. ... The parallel transport is provided by a structure which is added to the manifold and is called the connection. In the theory of general relativity, the connection is provided by an object calledthe Christoffel symbol G_ij^k. This is a very compact notation for a set of 40 (= 64 -24) functions on the 4-d spacetime. If the symbol carried two asymmetric lower indices, there would be 64 (= 4 x 4 x 4) functions; but the symmetry of the lower indices reduces the independent functions to 40. The standard Christoffel symbol of general relativity is symmetric in the two lower indicies i,j, and generates a connection called the Levi-Civita connection. However, there are geometries for which an asymmetic Christoffel symbol is employed in addition to the the symmetric Christoffel symbol. The asymmetry is carried by a tensor T called the torsion...

BTW, it's good to know you're on the mend and will be back on the forum soon...

Interesting Lesk….I too have been studying Sirag’s work.

Torsion=the state of being twisted
Twist or twisted=turn or bend round or into a different direction

Torsional=state of mental or emotional pain or anguish

Introvert=roots to Latin—“to the inside+to turn”

Torque=a force that tends to cause rotation—roots to Latin-“to twist”

The asymmetry is carried by a tensor T called the torsion...

Sirag hypothesized that consciousness is varied ‘reflection spaces.’ As far as I know thus far perception is apportioned to those varied reflection spaces, therefore perception is fragmented which is why there would be asymmetry which is lack of symmetry.

Do you think the impulse to ‘introspect’ would be like ‘torque’ or the force that acts in the system to bring about ‘symmetry’????
Symmetry means to make two sides equal for instance is introspection the ‘connection’ that begins the process to equalize awareness of not just outer reality but also its mirror image inner reality?? Is the process to equalize two parts of the brain to the whole brain state??

I hope you catch my drift here! I do not completely understand the science of this but I sure do understand the experience….smiles….Can you add further??

Hugs to sugarbear!! They heal...

Regards Mikal

[leskey]

Interesting Lesk….I too have been studying Sirag’s work.

Torsion=the state of being twisted
Twist or twisted=turn or bend round or into a different direction

Torsional=state of mental or emotional pain or anguish

Introvert=roots to Latin—“to the inside+to turn”

Torque=a force that tends to cause rotation—roots to Latin-“to twist”

The asymmetry is carried by a tensor T called the torsion...

Sirag hypothesized that consciousness is varied ‘reflection spaces.’ As far as I know thus far perception is apportioned to those varied reflection spaces, therefore perception is fragmented which is why there would be asymmetry which is lack of symmetry.

Do you think the impulse to ‘introspect’ would be like ‘torque’ or the force that acts in the system to bring about ‘symmetry’????
Symmetry means to make two sides equal for instance is introspection the ‘connection’ that begins the process to equalize awareness of not just outer reality but also its mirror image inner reality?? Is the process to equalize two parts of the brain to the whole brain state??

I hope you catch my drift here! I do not completely understand the science of this but I sure do understand the experience….smiles….Can you add further??

Hugs to sugarbear!! They heal...

Regards Mikal

What can I say, except, "great minds think alike"...That's sure to raise some ire(...LOL!!!

You have me pondering everything from the processes entertained within universal consciousness to the processess entertained in our own thinking, Mikal.

What at first seems off-topic, is actually very pertinent to the topic...some further reading:

http://schizophreniabulletin.oxfordj...1/121.full.pdf

There is ample reason for taking a special interest in this region of the brain. Not only is it the most highly lateralized so far identified, but it also contains a portion of the heteromodal association cortex responsible for the comprehension and generation of language (Galaburda et al. 1978, 1987, 1990; Galaburda and Sanides 1980; Leinonen et al. 1980; Galaburda 1993). This same system is involved in a number of other major cognitive functions, including working memory (Mesulam 1985; Goldman-Rakic 1987, 1990). The PT is also the typical site of injury in patients with Wernicke's aphasia.

Taken together, these observations suggest an intimate association between the anatomical asymmetry of this discrete region of the brain and the functional localization of much language activity to the left hemisphere. Attention has also been drawn to the incidence of asymmetries of the PT and the incidence of hand skill in the population (Annett 1992).

There is much published about brain asymmetries. As with 'torque' the twisting motion is defined as uniting by winding strands together; spiral motion. A lack of balance is required for perpetual motion. As I've noted previously, the 'twisting' motion separates and encapsulates 'space' creating an 'introversion' - motion being the pre-occupation, while the 'space' is self...a place of introspection...or, thought.

DNA elects to provide a wider scope of type within species to ensure continuity. There are many whose brains have different operating capabilities. These people are conflicted by social constraints for conformity over unpredicablity and, as a result, are prevented from learning to 'optimally operate' their equipment. All differences have value. If DNA functions to provide wider scope for the 'perpetual motion' of life, it is possible that environmental factors may favour their 'selection' in the future.

More to read:

http://www.crouses.com/opposites_attract.htm