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| Shapiro, looking excited |
One of the things Aristotle said about living beings is that they contain within themselves the principles of their own movement. The more we learn about genetics, the more this seems true, down to the deepest levels. In his latest blog on natural genetic engineering, James Shapiro has some interesting things to say. It is worth quoting the entry extensively.
First caution. By "natural genetic engineering" (NGE) Shapiro does not mean an explanatory principle, but rather all the biochemical mechanisms cells possess to "cut, splice, copy, polymerize and otherwise manipulate the structure of internal DNA molecules, transport DNA from one cell to another, or acquire DNA from the environment. Totally novel sequences can result from de novo untemplated polymerization or reverse transcription of processed RNA molecules."
Comments
Laurence Moran's thoughts on Shapiro's NGE book are incisive and specific:
http://reports.ncse.com/index.php/r
This review, by a friend of Shapiro's, lauds his list-making capacity, but finds extensive fault in his synthesis before trying to end on an upbeat note:
http://gbe.oxfordjournals.org/content/e
A rambling but fairly charitable take on Shapiro's book still thrashes it:
http://sysbio.oxfordjournals.org/conten
This blogger and science historian takes on Shapiro as a "clubfooted" Aristotelian:
http://evolvingthoughts.net/2011/08/y
Moran's review is probably the most interesting and useful. In my personal opinion, Shapiro embodies the apocryphal scientist who peaks early and gloriously, has an illustrious career, and then spends his twilight years wearing his (hopefully metaphorical) underwear on his head while his peers either humor him or politely ignore his bizarre behavior. I suppose we can call this "finally beginning to understand the workings of evolution," if you'd like.