From: Damien Broderick (d.broderick@english.unimelb.edu.au)
Date: Sun May 07 2000 - 08:40:34 MDT
>> Koestler wrote about the DNA code being taped over - as with a piano with
>> certain keys taped over - such that only certain potentialities are
>> expressed. As cells age, however, they tend to drift back toward a more
>> general expression - to become less differentiated, as the "tape" comes
>> loose at random points, until they conclude that somehow they are not
>> fulfilling their mission - or the demented version of it that now is the
>> controlling goal.
>
>This is Cutler's dysdifferentiation theory (which seems to have been
developed
>circa 1985). It sounds like Koestler is recycling it (do you have a ref.
for that?)
Koestler argued that back in 1964 (!) in his wonderful cross-disciplinary
book THE ACT OF CREATION. (Recent editions seem to have deleted the second
half where he advanced ideas about biology and cognitive psychology that
are now either commonplace and much more developed, or somewhat antiquated
or even quite dippy.) He was much influenced by Waddington and Bateson.
[And I, for what it's worth, was much influenced by him, having bought his
book the moment it came out, yum yum.]
Damien
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