[lit-ideas] Intelligence
- From: Jack Spratt <dosflounder@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2011 19:15:11 -0700 (PDT)
I recently came across an idea that blew me away. I learned that if cancer
tumors are treated with the wrong chemotherapy drug, the tumor (specifically
prostate) will immediately develop a resistance to *all* chemotherapy drugs
after that. Does that not imply intelligence, even a very superior
intelligence that would immediately sense a danger and mobilize a very
effective resistance to it? Even worse (or better), when prostate treatments
chemically destroy testosterone in an effort to starve a prostate tumor, the
tumors will actually regrow the testosterone producing mechanism. That is
impossible to do at this time by human intelligence.
This sort of intelligence exists throughout nature (although the tumor
intelligence takes it a step farther). There's a virus that infects gypsy moth
caterpillars. It makes the gypsy moth caterpillar climb to the top of a tree
and liquefies its host, at which point the virus rains itself down on other
caterpillars and ensures its spread. Maybe someone heard this story on Science
Friday? Likewise there's a fungus that attacks ants and clamps their jaws shut
around a leaf as it propagates in the ant. All this is like out of a science
fiction movie except it's real. I heard a long time ago that the
toxoplasmosis parasite infects mice in such a way that it changes their
behavior to make them easy prey for cats, again to propagate itself. This
sounds like the selfish gene of the parasite in action. However, I don't see
how natural selection can be at work with the tumors, since the chemotherapy
drugs have never existed before, so the
tumor could not have selected for it. The effect happens if the wrong chemo
drug is given as the first drug and it doesn't kill the tumor immediately.
After that, it's too late, it becomes resistant to all drugs. Really mind
bending stuff, it's up there with multiple dimensions and traveling faster than
the speed of light (which yet needs to be confirmed). Human intelligence pales
next to these achievements.
Andy
Other related posts:
- » [lit-ideas] Intelligence - Jack Spratt
