genetics – Harmonia Philosophica

Genes. Not important.

One of the great puzzles of evolutional biology is what induced certain living creatures to abandon solitary existence in favor of living in collaborative societies, as seen in the case of ants and other social, colony-forming insects. A major characteristic of so-called eusocial species is the division of labor between queens that lay eggs and workers that take care of the brood and perform other tasks. But what is it that determines that a queen should lay eggs and that workers shouldn’t reproduce? And how did this distinction come about during the course of evolution? Evolutionary biologists have now found a completely unexpected answer: one single gene called insulin-like peptide 2 (ILP2), which is probably activated by better nutrition, stimulates the ovaries and triggers reproduction. (1)

Inequalities by genes.

The best proof that genes are not the ones defining our life.

We are all brothers.

Especially because we don’t seem to be. [Valia]

Cognitive ability. Longevity.

Investigators at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research discovered dozens of new genetic variations associated with a person’s general cognitive ability. The findings, which were published online today in Cell Reports, have the potential to help researchers develop more targeted treatment for cognitive and memory disorders.

“For the first time, we were able to use genetic information to point us towards specific drugs that might aid in cognitive disorders of the brain, including Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,” said Todd Lencz, PhD, senior author of the study and professor at the Feinstein Institute and the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.

While profiling cognitive ability, researchers also discovered a genetic overlap with longevity. They found when examining an individual’s family that a genetic predisposition towards higher cognitive ability was associated with longer lifespan. A new genetic overlap between cognitive ability and risk for autoimmune disease was also identified. (1)

Living longer. When understanding more.

But living is not related to being wise.

Wise men lived a very short life.

Understanding makes you blend in better with the cosmos.

But what if the cosmos you see is not real?

What if living more is not the ultimate goal?

You try to understand things. To live more.

But you do not understand why you live in the first place.

You want to be immortal.

But you are you only because you die…

Cast away your fear. Accept your nature.

It is hard. But you must understand it.

Without understanding anything…

Health. Disease. Blurry lines…

Our genome is made up of 20,000 genes, all of which may cause disease. At present, 4,141 genes have been identified as being responsible for genetic abnormalities, leaving around 16,000 genes with unknown implication in disease. Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, — working in collaboration with scientists from Pakistan and the USA — have investigated a recessive genetic disorder that destroys the eyes from developing and results in childhood blindness. After analyzing the genomes of each member of a consanguineous family with affected children, the geneticists pinpointed pathogenic mutations in a new gene, MARK3, as being the cause. They subsequently confirmed their findings — published in the journal Human Molecular Genetics — by modifying the homologous gene in drosophila flies, which resulted in abnormal eye development and blindness. The identification of the MARK3 related disease will help to understand the mechanism of the disease, provide diagnostic services, and initiate efforts for a personalized treatment. (1)

The same genes which are praised for their role in life…

Are responsible for the diseases which destroy it…

Could it be that these genes work the wrong way?

Or that we are seeing the whole picture from a wrong standpoint?

Can what is good be evil at the same time?

Can health entail disease?

Can life entail death?

What an irrational cosmos…

So alive. So sad. So true…

Look at the circle on the sand.

The line is blurry.

Distracted by the wind.

Please don’t touch my circle…

Blood on the sand.

A cry of a bird in the distance.

The deep ocean cries…

The Polar Star stands still.

Mapping the genome. The illusion of “dimensions”…

Cells face a daunting task. They have to neatly pack a several meter-long thread of genetic material into a nucleus that measures only five micrometers across. This origami creates spatial interactions between genes and their switches, which can affect human health and disease. Now, an international team of scientists has devised a powerful new technique that ‘maps’ this three-dimensional geography of the entire genome. Their paper is published in Nature. (1)

We like analyzing things.

So we have “discovered” dimensions.

And the more we analyze, the more dimensions seem to be there.

From the extra dimension of time to the extra dimensions of new physics’ theories to adding dimensions of analysis of human behavior or to adding dimensions in the ways genome is mapped or in the ways it expresses itself, we are all doing the same thing over and over again: Adding complexity to a simple world. We may name it “Discovering complexity” but in reality, all this ‘discovery’ is just in our mind.

Humans were on Earth for millions of years.

The genome was there all the time.

With no maps. No dimensions.

Expressing itself.

Part of a human.

Part of a cosmos.

So in essence, it was never there.

Because there was no human.

There was no self in the first place.

There was no genome.

Just the cosmos.

Expressing itself.

The map is empty.

See?

Knowing. Bacteria’s memory (x 100). Humans…

Researchers have identified a mutation that prompts bacterial cells to acquire genetic memories 100 times more frequently than they do naturally. This discovery provides a powerful research tool and could bring scientists one step closer to developing DNA-based data storage devices. (1)

We insist on making the cosmos a big computer.

We want to make it ‘work’ better.

We imagine building machines.

And yet, go ask a wise man…

There is nothing to know.

There is nothing to make work.

Ask a wise man. He will tell you.

A bacterium already does and knows much more than he does…

🙂