Comments on: Units of Selection http://quietbabylon.com/2010/units-of-selection/ Cyborgs, architects and our weird broken future. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:37:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: How To Save On Electricity http://quietbabylon.com/2010/units-of-selection/comment-page-1/#comment-1466 How To Save On Electricity Tue, 19 Jan 2010 03:45:20 +0000 http://quietbabylon.com/?p=1579#comment-1466 I am a Fire Protection and Safety Engineer and have seen the amount of gases, synthetic and all, that has been installed for fire suppression purposes in the projects that I have handled. Its pretty surprising. I am a Fire Protection and Safety Engineer and have seen the amount of gases, synthetic and all, that has been installed for fire suppression purposes in the projects that I have handled. Its pretty surprising.

]]> By: Tim Maly http://quietbabylon.com/2010/units-of-selection/comment-page-1/#comment-1464 Tim Maly Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:08:36 +0000 http://quietbabylon.com/?p=1579#comment-1464 Me too. I'm generally curious about how badly I've mangled an understanding of evolution in this post, if there are any biologists who'd care to weigh in and peer review it.<br><br>I read The Selfish Gene years ago. It's also the book where he introduces the idea of Memes as an evolutionary force, or I guess an object of evolution. So if there aren't multiple units of selection, there are at least two layers of selection, in his view (as I dimly remember it).<br><br>One of the arguments that recommends units of selection beyond the gene is that there comes a point where the low level explanations require such convoluted explanations that it's difficult to see what they explain at all, similar to how we abstract out the quantum physics when we talk about most chemistry.<br><br>I find the idea of higher units of selection compelling because there are so many situations where it's useful to abstract out the individuals. For instance, it is meaningful to think about car traffic in terms of fluid dynamics. Me too. I’m generally curious about how badly I’ve mangled an understanding of evolution in this post, if there are any biologists who’d care to weigh in and peer review it.

I read The Selfish Gene years ago. It’s also the book where he introduces the idea of Memes as an evolutionary force, or I guess an object of evolution. So if there aren’t multiple units of selection, there are at least two layers of selection, in his view (as I dimly remember it).

One of the arguments that recommends units of selection beyond the gene is that there comes a point where the low level explanations require such convoluted explanations that it’s difficult to see what they explain at all, similar to how we abstract out the quantum physics when we talk about most chemistry.

I find the idea of higher units of selection compelling because there are so many situations where it’s useful to abstract out the individuals. For instance, it is meaningful to think about car traffic in terms of fluid dynamics.

]]> By: Sharkey http://quietbabylon.com/2010/units-of-selection/comment-page-1/#comment-1463 Sharkey Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:37:49 +0000 http://quietbabylon.com/?p=1579#comment-1463 Richard Dawkins insists the biological evolution is best explained when looking at the individual gene as the unit of selection. He says that group selection doesn't work. I'm curious if this is the general consensus of biologists! Richard Dawkins insists the biological evolution is best explained when looking at the individual gene as the unit of selection. He says that group selection doesn’t work. I’m curious if this is the general consensus of biologists!

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