Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id IAA14268 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 13 Feb 2001 08:41:19 GMT Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745C64@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: Gnome Project Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 08:40:30 -0000 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Hi Kenneth,
I commented on the significance of the project's results in a post
yesterday. I don't think the number of genes in an absolute sense is what
matters, so much as the potential interaction between genes which can be
many times more elaborate with 30,000 than 15,000 genes.
I'm still bemused by how the media, clearly in many countries from people's
comments on this list, have made this "nuture must be more important than
nature now" argument. I'm not saying I disagree actually, just that the
number of genes, to my mind, doesn't give us the answer to that.
By the way, I don't know if it's just a typo, or whether you're spelling it
phonetically, but it's usually written genome (a gnome is something else
entirely). Still, commendations on your English which is infinitely
superior to my Dutch.
Vincent
> ----------
> From: Kenneth Van Oost
> Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Sent: Monday, February 12, 2001 4:36 pm
> To: memetics
> Subject: Gnome Project
>
> Hi all,
>
> I suspect you all heard that the human being is less complicated than
> first
> expected. 30. 000 genes at the most are important, all the rest exists out
> of
> waste particles.
> This makes one thing crystal clear and that is that the human behaviour is
> far more determinated by its environment than first suspected.
> One of the most striking findings is that only a small portion of the
> gnome
> is really part of the human recipe. The rest exist out of disused DNA and
> even parasites. Humans possess no more than 30. 000 genes with instruc-
> tions.
> The conclusion is that we don 't possess enough genes to add up to the
> disposition of biological determination. The environment plays a crucial
> role
> in the development of human behaviour.
>
> My first conclusion about this is the next.
> IMO we see here for the first time an enormous benefit for memetics.
> Culture/ behaviour/ beliefs etc. are far more determinated by
> environmental
> dispositions than they were/ are by genes, like we all suspected I
> suppose.
> But personal, I think this give a major blow to the Darwinian prospect of
> evolution. If, it becomes clearer that probably much of the heritable
> charac-
> teristics we possess were not determinated by simple genes but by complete
> networks of genes working together, than IMO we have to lay down the road
> for a better understanding of Lamarckian traits and why not for Lamarcks
> inheritance of acquired characteristics.
>
> I know, and I understand that all we see is probably explicable by
> Darwinian-
> like words but what the gnome- project found opens up new doors, first of
> all
> for memetics.
> IMO, for what I have read sofar and heard about this project, my first
> remark,
> as a possible angle for inquiry, is that the Darwinian term " selection "
> must
> be opened up for debate and discussion. IMO, when it is true that we are
> far
> more environmentally determinated than genentically than our genes and
> memes don 't " select " as we established but " react ".
> And that is a Lamarckian term.
>
> Don 't get me wrong here, I ' m willing to set aside my own personal
> interest,
> for the sake of memetics, to take part in a discussion about the
> conclusions
> of the gnome project.
> I hope you will all join me in just that attempt.
> This is too important to letting it go by...
>
> Best
>
> Kenneth
>
> ( I am, because we are) I think....
>
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