Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id XAA22064 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk); Sun, 2 Sep 2001 23:42:47 +0100 Message-ID: <002501c133f4$bd9240c0$d387b2d1@teddace> From: "Dace" <edace@earthlink.net> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> References: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D310174606A@inchna.stir.ac.uk> <3B8F7672.390D5BF4@bioinf.man.ac.uk> Subject: Re: Dawkins etc Date: Sun, 2 Sep 2001 14:17:56 -0700 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Chris wrote:
> Go vincent!
>
> Seeing as we've sort of bumped into the KT boundary and all that, I'd
> like to ask a specific to see if Sheldrake has anything concrete (as
> opposed to just the generic mechanism) to offer:
>
> We talked about novelty under MR as coming from a sort of hybridisation
> between existing morphs; so how did flying creatures come from a
> non-flying world?
Sheldrake has never claimed that novelty arises through hybridisation of
existing fields. He attributes novelty to the creativity of the organisms
that propell the evolution of their species. He offers no explanation for
creativity. It's not as if he explains everything.
> If the Drakester hasn't done that one specifically,
> are there any similar examples where he's actually postulated which MRs
> have crossed to give a new line (transition to land, rise of flowering
> plants, rise of homoiothermy etc.)?
MR is a force for conservation. We could reformulate it as the law of
conservation of intrinsic form.
There are no independently existing lines of MR. It's not like genes, which
are things in themselves. MR is simply the resonance of organisms or
naturally recurring forms with previous similar forms. It's not as if there
are lines of gravity which, when crossed, give rise to new planets.
Ted
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