> Does it work? Assuming that the encodings between parent and child are compatible, it could work. But you'd still be limited to the total amount of information storage allowable in the junk DNA (which would necessarily be a miniscule fraction of the total information stored in the brain as memory). And you'd still need to identify the mechanism that writes to the junk DNA, which would involve some hefty molecular machinery (snipping DNA, synthesizing the new stuff, rejoining it, all while doing error correction and turning off the error correction involved with normal DNA synthesis/repair). Finally, the idea of junk DNA is getting smaller and smaller as we identify gene targets that are not necessarily proteins, but various RNA products; or sections of DNA that are simply there to anchor other sections, or to enable other methods of gene switching.
I know you're just playing here but it would be easy to empirically test this. Does junk DNA change between birth and death? Something tells me we would have discovered something that significant a long time ago. Terren --- On Wed, 12/3/08, Richard Loosemore <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Okay, try this. > > [heck, you don't have to: I am just playing with ideas > here...] > > The methylation pattern has not necessarily been shown to > *only* store information in a distributed pattern of > activation - the jury's out on that one (correct me if > I'm wrong). > > Suppose that the methylation end caps are just being used > as a way station for some mechanism whose *real* goal is to > make modifications to some patterns in the junk DNA. So, > here I am suggesting that the junk DNA of any particular > neuron is being used to code for large numbers of episodic > memories (one memory per DNA strand, say), with each neuron > being used as a redundant store of many episodes. The same > episode is stored in multiple neurons, but each copy is > complete. When we observe changes in the methylation > patterns, perhaps these are just part of the transit > mechanism, not the final destination for the pattern. To > put it in the language that Greg Bear would use, the endcaps > were just part of the "radio" system. > (http://www.gregbear.com/books/darwinsradio.cfm) > > Now suppose that part of the junk sequences that code for > these memories are actually using a distributed coding > scheme *within* the strand (in the manner of a good old > fashioned backprop neural net, shall we say). That would > mean that, contrary to what I said in the above paragraph, > the individual strands were coding a bunch of different > episodic memory traces, not just one. > > (It is even possible that the old idea of flashbulb > memories may survive the critiques that have been launched > against it ... and in that case, it could be that what we > are talking about here is the mechanism for storing that > particular set of memories. And in that case, perhaps the > system expects so few of them, that all DNA strands > everywhere in the system are dedicated to storing just the > individual's store of flashbulb memories). > > Now, finally, suppose that there is some mechanism for > "radioing" these memories to distribute them > around the system ... and that the radio network extends as > far as the germ DNA. > > Now, the offspring could get the mixed flashbulb memories > of its parents, in perhaps very dilute or noisy form. > > This assumes that whatever coding scheme is used to store > the information can somehow transcend the coding schemes > used by different individuals. Since we do not yet know how > much common ground there is between the knowledge storage > used by individuals yet, this is still possible. > > There: I invented a possible mechanism. > > Does it work? > > > > > > 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
