On May 13, 2009, at 12:57 PM, Doyle Saylor wrote:
The term epigenetic was coined by Waddington a left wing biologist
in England whose work began in the 30s. The problems with
Lysenkoism are well known. The problem here in the U.S. was the
tyrannical response in the West to environmental inheritance. The
basic ideas were anathema in the West.
A cooling off toward the concept of environmental inheritance made
sense at the time because the science couldn't go technically deep
enough to verify theories. The Soviets should never have gone to
doctrinal policies, but in the West this demonstrates more than
anything how non democratic is the science.
Pinkers book "the blank slate" for example attacking the Blank Slate
represents a de facto consensus orthodoxy that was shrouded and
protected by anti-left bias. I don't think we disagree. However,
epigenetics offers soemthing a bit further. Let's take Genetic
patents as an example. I don't think you can claim in the science -
ownership of say a plant strain. Because the variability of gene
expression precludes a definite engineered plan of development and
ownership. Why because this forces upon agriculture and unrealistic
plan of plant stasis via a faulty concept of gene expression.
Doyle,
good post. I suspect the point you raise (the attraction that genic
determinism holds for commercial exploitation) is also relevant to the
success of reductionism.
--ravi
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