Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!

Home › Bio 103, Week 9, Macromolecules and Improbability/Energy ›

Reply to comment

Paul Grobstein's picture

Genes, and "meaning"

Submitted by Paul Grobstein on Mon, 11/05/2007 - 4:07pm.

Interesting conversation this morning, triggered by Ruth's thought that "randomness ordered by a set of rules ... just seems a little hollow to me". The point, if I understood it correctly, was that if one had a gene with some unpleasant consequence, one would prefer to think there was some reason for that unpleasantness rather than it being simply the "luck of the draw." Interesting counterpoint today during NPR's "Voices in the Family", discussing genetic testing. A caller wanted to know whether genetic testing could help him explain why he'd been suffering, and was pressed by Dan Gottlieb, the moderator, to explain why knowing there was a genetic explanation would make him feel better. Maybe knowing about genes and randomness abolishes "meaning" in some contexts, and creates it in others?

 

http://www.whyy.org/91FM/voices.html

Reply

To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty.
9 + 3 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.

Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities

Scanning electron microscope image of SARS-CoV-2

Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities has 50 remote-ready activities, which work for either your classroom or remote teaching.

Narrative is determined not by a desire to narrate but by a desire to exchange. (Roland Barthes, S/Z)

What's New? Subscribe to Serendip Studio