Hi Richard, Thanks for the link, pretty intriguing. It's important to note that the mechanism proposed is just a switch that turns specific genes off... so properly understood, it's likely that the resolution required to model this mechanism would not necessarily require modeling the entire DNA strand. It seems more likely that these methylation caps are being applied to very specific genes that produce proteins heavily implicated in the dynamics of synapse creation/destruction (or some other process related to memory). So modeling the phenomenon could very possibly be done functionally.
Memories could only be passed to the child if 1) those DNA changes were also made in the germ cells (i.e. egg/sperm) and 2) the DNA changes involved resulted in a brain organization in the child that mimicked the parent's brain. (1) is very unlikely but theoretically possible; (2) is impossible for two reasons. One is, the methylation patterns proposed involve a large number of neurons, converging on a pattern of methylation; in contrast, a germ cell would only capture the methylation of a single cell (which would then be cloned in the developing fetus). Second, the hypothesized methylation patterns represent a different medium of information storage in the mature brain than what is normally considered to be the role of DNA in the developing brain. It would truly be a huge leap to suggest that the information stored via this alteration of DNA would result in that information being preserved somehow in a developing brain. There are plenty of other epigenetic phenomena to get Lamarck fans excited, but this isn't one of them. Terren --- On Wed, 12/3/08, Richard Loosemore <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From: Richard Loosemore <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [agi] Lamarck Lives!(?) > To: agi@v2.listbox.com > Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2008, 11:11 AM > Am I right in thinking that what these people: > > http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026845.000-memories-may-be-stored-on-your-dna.html > > > are saying is that memories can be stored as changes in the > DNA inside neurons? > > If so, that would upset a few apple carts. > > Would it mean that memories (including cultural > adaptations) could be passed from mother to child? > > Implication for neuroscientists proposing to build a WBE > (whole brain emulation): the resolution you need may now > have to include all the DNA in every neuron. Any bets on > when they will have the resolution to do that? > > > > Richard Loosemore > > > > ------------------------------------------- > agi > Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now > RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/ > Modify Your Subscription: > https://www.listbox.com/member/?&; > Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com ------------------------------------------- agi Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/ Modify Your Subscription: https://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=8660244&id_secret=120640061-aded06 Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
