Re: virus: Fwd: Genetics (was Re: the flow)

B. Lane Robertson (metaphy@hotmail.com)
Sun, 10 May 1998 23:21:14 PDT


It took me a long time to understand what little
statistics I understand. The sciences are based on
a certain kind of math. The way this is done is to
take a group (all first graders), measure a behavior
(give them a grade for spelling their name), make
this into a math formula which adds the scores and
divides by the number of students, and come up with
an average score. Then, they take each student and
compare their score to the average to find out how
far their actual scores differ from the average.

In my explanation, I was trying to show that the
*average score* is not a REAL score (none of the
students actually scored this number-- though it
might be written like a test score, ie. 50%). The
score is a *relationship* between all of the
students and does not represent any of them... all
of the real scores are shown as a deviation from
this number-- even if this deviation is zero (which
says that even if a student scored 50% he is not
represented by this average, but deviates from this
score by .0). All student scores are then plotted
around this mean score according to a "normal
distribution" which looks like a bell on an x,y
graph-- big where the vertical axis crosses the
horizontal but slanting down toward both ends until
there are only a few students represented at either
end of the horizontal axis (the central point is the
average score and does not represent any student,
all students fall to either side of this point...
though maybe .0 to the side of it, as above).

The theory of Darwinian evolution is also based on
this reasoning. The theory says that there are
certain traits which form a relationship around an
average. This relationship is called "chance
recombination". Chance recombination says that for
all traits (like for all student scores) there is a
"normal curve" which can be drawn. The central
point, "survival", does not represent any trait (or
any individual, etc.). On either side of center
there is a deviation of plus or minus.
"Competition" says that the traits with a plus
exactly compete with the traits with a minus so that
the center point can continue to represent "no
trait".

In practice, this would mean that any individual
must have an exact opposite whose actions, ideas,
*survival*, etc. will completely negate both of
them. The understanding promotes opposition in the
form of violence and force but leaves no option for
survival. To counteract this shortcoming of the
theory (I assume), Darwin proposed that mutation was
responsible for evolution (to clarify this, this is
like affirming that according to chance
recombination and competition there is no survival
so another idea must account for survival,
"mutation"-- a word which suggests, on its own, that
nothing survives unless it becomes something else,
or "mutates").

My most recent understanding of the concept of group
statistics is that they represent the development of
the individual over time but in a "moment" and so
across a population of people who might represent
the individual at any point of their development.
So, there must be a formula which represents the
central score as a the score of a particular
individual and all other scores as developmental
aspects of that individual's past and future. This
would be an ordered combination about a mean of one
(just guessing here). The implications would be
that "mutation" is a result of the symbolic
recording of an individual nature with regards to no
environment (as if the individual were the entire
environment)... "memetics".

>From owner-virus@lucifer.com Sat May 9 17:25:50 1998
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>To: virus@lucifer.com
>From: Dan Plante <dplante@home.com>
>Subject: Re: virus: Fwd: Genetics (was Re: the flow)
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>Brett, I can't say I understand this with any confidence. Liberal
>doses of example and analogy would be helpful.
>
>Thanx
>Dan
>
>At 02:48 PM 5/4/98 -0500, Brett Robertson wrote:
>>
>>Brett Lane Robertson
>>Indiana, USA
>>www.window.to/mindrecFrom: BrettMan35@webtv.net (Brett Robertson)
>>Date: Sun, 3 May 1998 14:58:50 -0500
>>To: bohm_dialogue@rome.cis.plym.ac.uk
>>Subject: Genetics (was Re: the flow)
>>Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
>>Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT
>>MIME-Version: 1.0 (WebTV)
>>
>>When I talk of genetics being "chance correlation about a mean of
zero"
>>I am giving the definition of statistics. All statistics are based on
>>this mathematical formula which assumes that the average across all
>>individual scores in a group (added together and divided by the number
>>of individuals) equates to the number zero.

B. Lane Robertson
Indiana, USA
http://www.window.to/mindrec
AAA000

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