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In slime molds, evolution selects 'loners' who refrain from collective behavior

phys.org

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Re: In slime molds, evolution selects 'loners' who refrain from collective behavior

#3
This activity can sometimes be annoying in biology experiments, especially when you get down to the bacterial size and do measurements on the population.

Think the average expression of gene X is 100? Well, it is, with 90% of the population expressing the gene at 111 and 10% not expressing it at all.

Unlike computers, cells like to do their own thing :(

Re: In slime molds, evolution selects 'loners' who refrain from collective behavior

#5
post #3

This activity can sometimes be annoying in biology experiments, especially when you get down to the bacterial size and do measurements on the population. Think the average expression of gene X is 100? Well, it is, with 90% of the population expressing the gene at 111 and 10% not expressing it at all. Unlike computers, cells like to do their own thing :(

> Unlike computers, cells like to do their own thing :(

Fairly the same, if everything at the lowest level is just programmed to do what occurs.

Re: In slime molds, evolution selects 'loners' who refrain from collective behavior

#6
post #5
post #3

This activity can sometimes be annoying in biology experiments, especially when you get down to the bacterial size and do measurements on the population. Think the average expression of gene X is 100? Well, it is, with 90% of the population expressing the gene at 111 and 10% not expressing it at all. Unlike computers, cells like to do their own thing :(

> Unlike computers, cells like to do their own thing :( Fairly the same, if everything at the lowest level is just programmed to do what occurs.

technically true, the best kind of true

Re: In slime molds, evolution selects 'loners' who refrain from collective behavior

#8

While human social loners fit the mould, I don't think that's the lone point we should get out of this. What is actually beneficial to society (whether mold or human) is diversity in genetics, neuro-diversity, and in general.

Neurodiversity is a adaption to cyclic repeating circumstances.

They exist, because somewhere in the repeating loops before society stabilized, that behaviour made sense. To sucessfully use those components though, is tough. Creative people industries have specialized handler jobs, who keep the drama and problems away from other jobs.

Creative people make for lousy project planners and directors. Incremental thinkers make for lousy creative endavour entrepaneurs - if left to their own devices.

To craft these devices, made from neurodiverse people, one needs to be painfully aware of all components and there failure modes. Welcome to the wonderful world of leviathancybernetics.

Re: In slime molds, evolution selects 'loners' who refrain from collective behavior

#9

While human social loners fit the mould, I don't think that's the lone point we should get out of this. What is actually beneficial to society (whether mold or human) is diversity in genetics, neuro-diversity, and in general.

When you say "neuro-diversity" is beneficial, what exactly do you mean?

Re: In slime molds, evolution selects 'loners' who refrain from collective behavior

#10

While human social loners fit the mould, I don't think that's the lone point we should get out of this. What is actually beneficial to society (whether mold or human) is diversity in genetics, neuro-diversity, and in general.

I wonder what happened with the other, dead reply to your comment. Looking at the other comments from that user there seems to be something wrong with YC News or someone with lots of karma was triggered and went on a rampage.
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