02-17-12 Important update on host manipulation - How Your Cat Is Making You Crazy
If you've ever HAD to read a science book, you might not believe someone could write one more compelling than a Clive Cussler novel, but it's happened. This is a short, fast read about some VERY important topics involving, biology, medicine and human evolution. Believe it or not, it's a real page-turner.
Over-all, Dr. Sharon Moalem nicely presents what I think is a new concept in biology - that life rides an edge between ALMOST, but NOT QUITE enough. He posits that this edge is expressed in the form of disease, plus and minus by degrees. As environmental conditions change this edge moves back and forth adapting to these new conditions.
He starts out talking about iron, and when too much can be worse than not enough. And vice versa. And that's the point.
When he applies the same concept to sugar and ambiant temperature, all of a sudden diabetes makes a lot more sense.
And when he gets into how worms can control a rat's behavior to hitch a ride in a cat's gut, the concept of host manipulation becomes so vivid that the idea of those very same worms turning women into sluts becomes quite plausable.
OK, some of this is speculative, but the science is all referenced so you can dig as deep as you need. You get to reach your own conclusions.
His presentation on epigenetics convinced me that genetics is just the first layer in an amazingly complex and dynamic interaction between genes and the environment - maybe your grandfather's. So much for nature versus nurture. It's now nature AND nuture. This is facinating stuff.
And finally his presentation on the Aquatic Ape was my first exposure to this fairly novel idea. It makes far more sense than what we've been taught since grade school about primate evolution.
Dr. Moalem not only has brough together some diverse ideas into a presentation more meaningful than any single study could accomplish, he does it in a way that makes you want to ask even MORE questions.
Even though he sets up the premise, he doesn't quite take things to the level of extropy. I'll do that for him in another blog post - stay tuned. In any case, his are very fun thoughts.
And it's REAL science.
I sincerely hope there's a sequal.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Survival of the Sickest
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Sorry to burst your bubble, but this guy's book is tripe. For some info as to why, here's a link to a biologist explaining some of it at Pharyngula (and click through to Larry Moran's blog entries on it as well). As for the aquatic ape idea, I've studied that for a decade and a half and it too, sadly, is tripe. If you want to know why, read my web site on it: Aquatic Ape Theory: Sink or Swim?
ReplyDeleteThese sorts of books are fun reads and people like the stories, but it's fiction. Fact is far more interesting.
Without needing to argue the merits of Junk DNA, Aquatic Ape Theory or any of his other chosen illustrations, I think Dr. Moalem succeeded in expressing this important idea. I certainly "got it".
ReplyDeleteAnd even if you and others effectively challenge SOME of the underlying science, that does not invalidate the concept or constitute a reason to classify the book as a meat product.
And here's a suggestion on that topic - try to remain a bit more professional. Your use of the term "tripe" largely undermines your own credibility by showing an obvious personal bias, as opposed to simply and objectively comparing established facts in an attempt to HELP him advance or discard his idea.
Plus, starting your post with a quote from Darwin about "false facts" does not in any way make yours more true. Only their considered analysis by qualified peers can do that.
So, you may wonder why I have bothered to allow your rather sophomoric comment if I disagree with it's content. It's for the more useful links to your site and others. It is to further the debate.
As to my "bubble", you'll note in my post...
"some of this is speculative, but the science is all referenced so you can dig as deep as you need"...
I think I made it clear I hold no absolutes in regard to Dr. Moalem's ideas. I just enjoyed reading and considering them.
Finally, YOU have now become part of a parallel of the very process Dr Moalem describes. You have become part of the "disease". And therefore part of the solution. Thank you.
And if Dr. Moalem's medical idea survives, you will have help demonstrate it's parallel in the debate of science.
Thanks again.
Here are some useful comments from Dr. Moalem and my response...
ReplyDeleteDear Rod,
thank you for buying my book and I appreciate you sending me the link. It's amazing how quickly dogma becomes entrenched and how vested we can become defending it. I hope and wish for all of us to be able to seek knowledge and ultimately wisdom that does not solely revolve around feeding our current views.
There seems to be a constant when it comes to new ideas, and that's
some type of initial resistance, which ultimately ends up providing
the energy to drive the process of inquiry even further.
I await to see where you will go with some of the ideas in my book.
Best Regards,
Sharon
Sharon,
I'm honored with your personal response. It's rare in this world of mass media and communications.
> thank you for buying my book
Actually, I didn't. My twenty-year-old son, Travis discovered it first and bought me a copy for Christmas knowing about my interest in such topics.
> There seems to be a constant when it comes to new ideas, and that's
> some type of initial resistance, which ultimately ends up providing
> the energy to drive the process of inquiry even further.
I agree. But I think of it more as inertia than resistance since it also keeps things from becoming too volatile, losing direction and
focus. Intellectual inertia is just one more aspect, one more edge on the path to extropy.
> I await to see where you will go with some of the ideas in my book.
Thank you. Your work will spawn lots of new thinking.
I'll keep you posted on mine.
Rod
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