Are our genes intelligent?

[Eric Thorson]

If you had a Giant Robot that was, to any outside perspective, intelligent, but for every single function and process it performed it had to read a program off of the brains of hundreds of human beings wired together inside of it, would the automaton be intelligent or the Humans inside it? They say Genetic Mutation is random because countless numbers of bad mutations are discarded for every helpful mutation that manages to survive natural selection. But if that's true, Then is human thought random? Because for every good idea that we have as a collective species there are millions of bad ideas that fail every day. What if Genetic mutation is just the cognitive process of our genes. Every bodily function we perform, including our intelligence, is a result of the enzymes that are produced by the blueprints in our DNA. These thoughts are just a hobby of mine so i would love to hear any facts, supporting arguments, or opposing arguments, please shoot holes in this speculation (i hesitate to say theory) or just feel free to educate me. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Thank you

[Strange]

If you had a Giant Robot that was, to any outside perspective, intelligent, but for every single function and process it performed it had to read a program off of the brains of hundreds of human beings wired together inside of it, would the automaton be intelligent or the Humans inside it?

 

That is more a question of definitions: i.e. how you define what is intelligent. (It sounds a bit like the old "Chinese Room" argument against AI.)

 

 

They say Genetic Mutation is random because countless numbers of bad mutations are discarded for every helpful mutation that manages to survive natural selection.

 

They say they are random because, largely, they are random (i.e. the changes that take place during reproduction or caused by radiation, etc. can happen anywhere). As a result of that, some a beneficial, some are bad and many are neutral.

 

 

But if that's true, Then is human thought random?

 

That seems a bit of a non sequitur. I expect some aspects of human thought are random (misfirings of neurons, random quantities of neurotransmitters sloshing about, defective dureons, etc). Some aspects of dreams seem pretty random. But, for most people, their thoughts are pretty well ordered. And sometimes even rational.

 

 

What if Genetic mutation is just the cognitive process of our genes.

 

Genes don't think. They are just complicated molecules that do complicated chemistry. (But not as complicated as a brain.)

 

 

Every bodily function we perform, including our intelligence, is a result of the enzymes that are produced by the blueprints in our DNA.

 

But DNA does not directly control most of those. It sets up the environment and then, largely, leaves things to run.

[Endy0816]

Genes are a product of evolution. Evolution works to solve a problem like intelligence does, but the two differ in methodology.

 

Generally speaking Intelligence acts upon prior knowledge, while Evolution tries everything repeatedly. Neither is so simple in real life but that's the gist of it.

[Strange]

Interestingly, genetic (or evolutionary) algorithms are often better at solving problems than a more "intelligent" approach.

[imatfaal]

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Moderator Note

moved to speculations at the OP's request.

[Eric Thorson]

More than a few people (myself included) would say that its an eventual (Probably very distant) possibility we humans create an artificial self aware super intelligence that is more aware of its own existence than we could ever be. What if that's the pattern? Each form of life creates life more aware and intelligent than itself. It could very well be that consciousness is the only form of "Life" and everything else is just different steps along the evolutionary chain of consciousness itself. Now we would not describe our genes as conscious or aware in the way we understand it, but would the next step (artificial self-aware intelligence) describe us as conscious or aware in the way it understood it?

Genes don't think. They are just complicated molecules that do complicated chemistry. (But not as complicated as a brain.)

. You say that Genes are just complicated molecules that do complicated chemistry. Well on a cosmic scale I'd go as far to say that humans are just complicated molecules that do complicated processing and problem solving. Now Compared to our Brain power our genes can look quite dull and uncoordinated, But im sure we would look quite dull ourselves compared to an artificial self-aware super computer. Now this speculation is largely based on philosophical comparisons in this case its genes compare to human thought. For example Genes and human thought both respond to stimuli. Be it radiation, environmental, or other natural effects for the genes, or all the sensory input and brain functions for human thought. In the realm of infinite possibilities this is fun to ponder.

[Strange]

Well on a cosmic scale I'd go as far to say that humans are just complicated molecules that do complicated processing and problem solving.

 

I wouldn't disagree. But if you want to define what genes do as intelligence, then where does it stop: water running downhill? Is that "intelligent"?

[Ten oz]

If you had a Giant Robot that was, to any outside perspective, intelligent, but for every single function and process it performed it had to read a program off of the brains of hundreds of human beings wired together inside of it, would the automaton be intelligent or the Humans inside it? They say Genetic Mutation is random because countless numbers of bad mutations are discarded for every helpful mutation that manages to survive natural selection. But if that's true, Then is human thought random? Because for every good idea that we have as a collective species there are millions of bad ideas that fail every day.

Evolution does not have good mutation and bad mutation. What makes a mutation helpful or not often has to do with chance. A gene that may be helpful to an animal in one environment may be a detriment to them if a comet, Volcano, solar flare, wild fires, disease, etc changes the environment quickly. Also intelligence doesn't always win out. Chance plays a role. Lots of high adaptive species have gone extinct included various types of humans.

 

. What if Genetic mutation is just the cognitive process of our genes. Every bodily function we perform, including our intelligence, is a result of the enzymes that are produced by the blueprints in our DNA. These thoughts are just a hobby of mine so i would love to hear any facts, supporting arguments, or opposing arguments, please shoot holes in this speculation (i hesitate to say theory) or just feel free to educate me. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Thank you

I think it is clear that certian concepts or blueprints are in genes. Otherwise how would a spider know how to build a web without ever being shown? Is it instinct for humans to walk or does it take concious thought? What about potty training; is not urinating all over oneself instinct or is it something we must be taught? So where is the seperation between instinct and thought?

 

I think a lot is instinct. Humans over estimate themselves. Much as we consider ourselves individual and create scales to say this human is smarter or strong than another the seperation is actually very small. A "smart" dog breed may be capable of learning a hundred commands (made up number for the purpose of example). The difference between 90 and 100 commands wouldn't be considered relavent. We would consider the difference is in the dog's environment: diet, climate, training, and other chance factors. Ultimately both the 90 and 100 command dog would be be able to sit, play dead, fetch, get the paper, etc. Low IQ vs high IQ in humans is very similiar. Unless disable we can all speak, walk upright, dress ourselves, count, learn to play a musical instrument, etc. Some humans learn to do things at a greater or lesser levels but we all are capable of the same things. Go back in time 10,000yrs and introduce the humans there to any modern tool and they would be able to learn how to use it just as humans do today. We are all human after all and it is our genes that make us so.