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Cells across the body talk to each other about aging

quantamagazine.org

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Re: Cells across the body talk to each other about aging

#11

Post by atticora »

LASR wrote: post #3

You know, I've recently wondered quite a bit about aging and how any of it makes sense. What has perplexed me is the notion of honest signals[1] in a world governed by natural selection and the survival of the fittest. Why wouldn't cheating exclusively emerge as the only strategy? Why wouldn't a species evolve a mechanism to survive longer and longer till it completely dominates? Then it dawned on me that the surviva…

> Then it dawned on me that the survival of the species is not aligned with the survival of an individual.

The selfish genes control, and their survival is not perfectly aligned with either the individual or the species. If aging becomes too slow, adaptation slows, and successful genes become more rare and their propagation slows. Genes are replicators, replicators need turn-over to replicate, and greater age means slower turn-over.

It may be that the advent of cultural replicators have decreased the optimal turn-over rate of genetic replicators, but they don't know that.

Re: Cells across the body talk to each other about aging

#13

Post by [deleted] »

block_dagger wrote: post #7
LASR wrote: post #3

You know, I've recently wondered quite a bit about aging and how any of it makes sense. What has perplexed me is the notion of honest signals[1] in a world governed by natural selection and the survival of the fittest. Why wouldn't cheating exclusively emerge as the only strategy? Why wouldn't a species evolve a mechanism to survive longer and longer till it completely dominates? Then it dawned on me that the surviva…

> Why wouldn't a species evolve a mechanism to survive longer and longer till it completely dominates? Because evolution happens faster with sexually reproducing generations that die out to leave room for the fitter youth.

[deleted]

Re: Cells across the body talk to each other about aging

#14

Post by taeric »

block_dagger wrote: post #7
LASR wrote: post #3

You know, I've recently wondered quite a bit about aging and how any of it makes sense. What has perplexed me is the notion of honest signals[1] in a world governed by natural selection and the survival of the fittest. Why wouldn't cheating exclusively emerge as the only strategy? Why wouldn't a species evolve a mechanism to survive longer and longer till it completely dominates? Then it dawned on me that the surviva…

> Why wouldn't a species evolve a mechanism to survive longer and longer till it completely dominates? Because evolution happens faster with sexually reproducing generations that die out to leave room for the fitter youth.

This is a lot more compelling when you consider what it takes to survive this generation is not the same thing that was needed to survive last generation. This was more obvious with, for example, the peppered moth.

Re: Cells across the body talk to each other about aging

#15

Post by jxy »

LASR wrote: post #3

You know, I've recently wondered quite a bit about aging and how any of it makes sense. What has perplexed me is the notion of honest signals[1] in a world governed by natural selection and the survival of the fittest. Why wouldn't cheating exclusively emerge as the only strategy? Why wouldn't a species evolve a mechanism to survive longer and longer till it completely dominates? Then it dawned on me that the surviva…

It's easier to think all the living things are carriers fabricated and controlled by self-replicating nano-bots. Whatever strategy the nano-bots come up with and eventually successfully allowing them to keep creating more nano-bots is the winning strategy.

Re: Cells across the body talk to each other about aging

#16

Post by amadeuspagel »

LASR wrote: post #3

You know, I've recently wondered quite a bit about aging and how any of it makes sense. What has perplexed me is the notion of honest signals[1] in a world governed by natural selection and the survival of the fittest. Why wouldn't cheating exclusively emerge as the only strategy? Why wouldn't a species evolve a mechanism to survive longer and longer till it completely dominates? Then it dawned on me that the surviva…

Group Selection is not a thing[1].

There's an equilibrium of honesty and dishonesty. If everyone is dishonest, no one trusts, and the dishonesty doesn't pay off. If everyone is honest, everyone trusts, and dishonesty pays off all the more.

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_selection#Criticism

Re: Cells across the body talk to each other about aging

#17

Post by m3kw9 »

LASR wrote: post #3

You know, I've recently wondered quite a bit about aging and how any of it makes sense. What has perplexed me is the notion of honest signals[1] in a world governed by natural selection and the survival of the fittest. Why wouldn't cheating exclusively emerge as the only strategy? Why wouldn't a species evolve a mechanism to survive longer and longer till it completely dominates? Then it dawned on me that the surviva…

With tech these bets are off, what if it can further a collective further? Say making you stronger despite your genes, or using tech to assist us. It’s already happening right now, look at all the tech around us

Re: Cells across the body talk to each other about aging

#20

Post by [deleted] »

block_dagger wrote: post #7
LASR wrote: post #3

You know, I've recently wondered quite a bit about aging and how any of it makes sense. What has perplexed me is the notion of honest signals[1] in a world governed by natural selection and the survival of the fittest. Why wouldn't cheating exclusively emerge as the only strategy? Why wouldn't a species evolve a mechanism to survive longer and longer till it completely dominates? Then it dawned on me that the surviva…

> Why wouldn't a species evolve a mechanism to survive longer and longer till it completely dominates? Because evolution happens faster with sexually reproducing generations that die out to leave room for the fitter youth.

[deleted]
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