Philosophy Wire: Squid eyes. Human legs…

The genes that make squid eyes also make your legs. [1] You are what you are. Being unique in a complex cosmos. Everything seems different in this cosmos. And yet, everything is the same. Human legs. Squid eyes. Heavy rain. Scorching sun. A cosmos speaking a lot. Only to tell you that it shouldn't be taking at all…

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Philosophy Wire: DNA. Mosaics. Life.

We’re accustomed to thinking of our cells sharing an identical set of genes, faithfully copied ever since we were mere fertilized eggs. When we talk about our genome — all the DNA in our cells — we speak in the singular. But over the course of decades, it has become clear that the genome doesn’t just vary from person to person. It also varies from cell to cell. The condition is not uncommon: We are all mosaics. [1] All data point into the same direction. We are not we. There is no I. There is no self. Unless we think so. Do you feel you today? Wake up. Drink your milk. Go to work. You just destroyed a universe.

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Philosophy Wire: Science generating monsters. Smiling and accepting.

Researchers have developed transgenic mosquitoes that stably express the Cas9 enzyme in their germline. The addition of Cas9 will enable the use of the CRISPR gene editing tool to make efficient, targeted changes to the mosquitoes' DNA. As proof of concept, the researchers used the system to disrupt cuticle, wing, and eye development, producing completely yellow, three-eyed and wingless mosquitoes. Their long-term goal is to develop new pest control strategies. [1] Knowledge does not liberate. Knowledge creates monsters. And modern science is all about knowledge. Always searching for more in the name of progress and research. And yet, more and more knowledge increases our longing for more knowledge. And that makes us feel more and more empty. And frustrated. The moment we realize we will never know everything, we try to make things on our own. To control the cosmos, to manipulate it in order to fit our understanding. And the cosmos will bend under our will. And we will feel more empty. Because we would not have understood anything, we would have just made the cosmos look like us inside: Hollow and void. Seek nothingness. Crave to be empty. Let go. It is only then that you will fully understand everything. It is only then that the beauty inside you will come out. Without any strings attached or knowledge razors to cut through it and distort it. You are not only editing your genes. You are changing the cosmos itself. Making it ugly. Accept yourself. Just smile. You are beautiful.

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Philosophy Wire: Epigenetic memories. Experiencing “outside” yourself. Reversing the questions.

Researchers have now discovered that environmental genetic changes can be passed down for a whopping 14 generations in an animal – the largest span ever observed in a creature, in this case being a dynasty of C. elegans nematodes (roundworms). [1] What is the difference between the “environment” and us? What are the boundaries between the “self” and the “others”? Seemingly stupid questions always show the road to the solution of great philosophical problems. And these questions have all been solved by Harmonia Philosophica. What we need to see is right in front of our eyes: We are blind to the obvious role of the environment only because we have defined it as something different than us in the first place. How can anything you experience be “outside” you? What is impressive here is not the fact that epigenetic changes pass over to future generations. What is really impressive is that a change from the environment may NOT be passed over to future generations. Reverse the question and you will have the same question but without the dogmas from which you started in the first place. And you will clearly see that what you ask are things which you (think you) know...

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Philosophy Wire: Science: When the solution is the problem.

Science created seedless fruit with gene editing so as to reduce our reliance on bees which are going extinct. [1] There are times when the solution is the problem. If we did not have the capability to do something like this, we would just think of saving the bees. But this is modern science anyway: Unwanted solutions which turn out to be problems on their own. Think of a world where people live for ever with the help of science. Think and compare this to a world where people died. Open your eyes… Do they really look alive? Listen to the silence. The bees are dead.

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Philosophy Wire: From the DNA to epigenome. Analysis and further analysis: The (useless) history of modern science.

Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2017-08-16]: Scientists have established comprehensive maps of the human epigenome. [1] So? After that it is certain that we will discover something else which also affects humans. And after that something else. And something else after that too. Like atoms the analysis of which never ends (every year we discover a new particle), the analysis of the factors affecting humans will never end. No matter how hard we dig, we will always discover new things. The only way to get out of this hole we have dug is to go back to the Beginning. Put the dirt back. Take a breath. Wonder: Why are you digging?

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Philosophy Wire: DNA. Killing babies. Killing dreams.

Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2017-06-25]: Researchers identify specific areas of DNA sequence that are related with the age at which we have our first child, and the total number of children we have during the course of our life. [1] Million tears of people trying to have babies, in one DNA molecule. Modern civilization: It kills more than babies. It kills dreams.

PS. We now believe a molecule determines our lives and we thought astrology was too much which spoke of stars affecting us. (something which is true anyway)

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Philosophy Wire: Lifeless universe. Carbonara.

Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2016-06-03]: Could the food we eat affect our genes? A study in yeast suggests this may be the case. [1] So the FOOD does affect the genes. And not the… CONSCIOUS FREE DECISION to eat what we eat?!? Universe. Some see it as a lifeless machine. Not because it is. But because they just WANT to. Hidden dogmatism. Everywhere you look. See that carbonara plate. The most tasteful proof for the existence of God…

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Philosophy Wire: Children from 3 parents. A road. A bench. A ball…

Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2015-03-04]: Despite warnings that a new ethical threshold was being crossed, British lawmakers on Tuesday voted to allow the in vitro creation of babies using the DNA of three people, a procedure that could prevent the inheritance of genetic diseases. [1] Is it something good? Is it something bad? How could it be good? How could it be bad? Aren’t we all children of everyone? The woman passing by the road. The man sitting on the bench. The kid playing with a ball next to you. They are all your parents. And your children. In a universe with no time. Where everything just is…

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Philosophy Wire: Crocodiles. Stupid scientists.

Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2015-01-20]: The genome of crocodiles has meed mapped. [1] Nice. Another brick on the wall. Like a child, we stuck them all together. But we do not know what we will do with them. Over-analysis is cool because it is easy. But it leads to dead ends. When we stop documenting. When we stop analyzing. When we start thinking. Will we be scientists again...

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Philosophy Wire: Epigenetics. Memory. Body.

Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2014-10-31]: A growing body of evidence suggests that environmental stresses can cause changes in gene expression that are transmitted from parents to their offspring, making 'epigenetics' a hot topic. [1] The body is slave to the spirit. Not the other way around. Give someone time to realize that. And his body will stop existing. Set of intentions we are. Pure will. Limited in a lifeless body...

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Philosophy Wire: The Dark Age of genetics.

Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2014-10-26]:

Human "language gene" makes mice smarter. [1] Neuroscientists identify the key role of language gene. [2] Scientists discover that schizophrenia is not a single diseases but multiple genetically distinct disorders. [3]

We live in the Dark Ages of genetics. We all "know" we are just flesh and bones. And we act accordingly.

Be crazy. Be illogical. Find your true self within you. See that you are not just what you see!

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Philosophy Wire: Assisted deat... sorry I meant fertilization...

Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2014-08-30]: Fertility clinics scan for the strongest embryo. [1] For sure there are some chromosomical abnormalities which lead to death even before birth [2], but how logical is to kill an embryo because it WILL get sick? If despite the checks it is born and gets ill, will you kill it then? We strive to become animales. And with the help of science we will achieve it soon enough...

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Philosophy Wire: Defects, genetics, irrational.

Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2014-04-24]: Shoukhrat Mitalipov has developed a procedure to help women conceive without passing on their genetic defects. [1] Shestov would ask for the right to pass over to your children your defects! In being irrational, he would be the most wise of them all! Who decides what is a defect and what is not? Sure some would say that this is not possible to determine for genes related to phychological traits (if there are genes affecting those traits) but that it is surely possible to determine bad genes which lead to death. But yet again: who decides if death is something good or something bad? What seems self-evident, most of the times is not...

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Philosophy Wire: Live and let DIE you small hypocrite...

Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2014-01-18]: People in the "brainy circles" of our hypocritical society talk about diversity. But how much are differences really valued? “I wonder”, a mother of a child with Down's Syndrome writes, “whether my friends and colleagues would recognize the value of a child who was slower, less capable and more dependent”... [1] Love is hard to find. And even harder to give. Take a nap. Watch TV. Don't care about people with problems or children with genetic problems. You will not see them anyway. You will not let them be born. Being active is hard. Giving your hand is hard. Being passive is easy. Live and let DIE... Change the channel. I am bored.

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Philosophy Wire: Enslaved science, GM, money, retractions...

Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2013-12-31]: A paper linking several diseases to genetically modified food was retracted by the journal which published it! [1] No, this is not a philosophy wire. This is life. And money. Harmonia Philosophica accepts money to retract articles... Wire retraction: 10 euro. Article retraction: 100 euro. To retract the whole portal: 100,000 euro. NOT! Fuck money! Fuck money-dependent science!

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Philosophy Wire: DNA & "Me"...

Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2013-12-08]: If different DNA sequences exist into our body, they what makes me ME? [1] The more we understand our material nature, the more we realize that the immaterial one is the more important…

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Philosophy Wire: Order your children. Long live Hitler!

Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2013-11-01]: Soon we will be able to design our children like we want them. Soon our Will will impose itself on the world. Soon we will become Gods… [1] (was Hitler really our problem?)

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Philosophy Wire: Down's Syndrome at the University... What a failure!

Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2013-10-21]: The 1st university graduate with Down's Syndrome [1] This must be one of the largest failures of modern science ever! How did that kid got away from our fail-proof genetic tests?

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Philosophy Wire: Chimairas. Science. Terror.

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Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2013-08-13]: Japan researchers debate the growth of human organs in animals through the development of Chimairas.[1] The war of science against humans continues...

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