Tom, Frank,
Well, OK, but until Bruce Simon responds, I guess I am the best you got. What puzzles me is how one could doubt such a statement. Is it the attribution of “purpose” to a hunk of D[R]NA? In that case, I agree, because viruses do not display the degree of variation to a common outcome that warrants the term “purpose”. Many small creatures do, but not, I imagine, viruses. But usually, when people make such a statement, they are confounding “purpose” (that goal toward which an organism’s behavior is directed) with “function”, that outcome by which an organisms behavior (or structure) has been selected and/or for which it has been designed. Allowing this confounding as slip of the tongue turns the statement into a truism. The only other possible objection to the statement I can imagine is one might suppose that a virus has other purposes or functions. Does this help? Affectionately Your half-biologist, Nick Nicholas S. Thompson Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Biology Clark University <http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/> http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/ From: Friam [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Frank Wimberly Sent: Friday, March 25, 2016 7:46 PM To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group <[email protected]> Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: [FRIAM] The virus that could cure Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and more — NOVA Next | PBS If Bruce Simon is back next week, perhaps he can comment. Frank Wimberly Phone (505) 670-9918 <tel:%28505%29%20670-9918> Fascinating and well-written story. While I am dubious of the phrase "...phages such as M13 have only one purpose: to pass on their genes," I wish we had more biologists in FRIAM to explain how this would be likely/possible. Still, a good read. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/body/phage-alzheimers-cure/?utm_source=facebook <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/body/phage-alzheimers-cure/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=pbsofficial&utm_campaign=nova_next> &utm_medium=pbsofficial&utm_campaign=nova_next TJ =================================== Tom Johnson - Inst. for Analytic Journalism Santa Fe, NM SPJ Region 9 Director [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> 505-473-9646 <tel:505-473-9646> =================================== ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com
============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com
