Focused on implications of Jon's views on the Covid-19 outbreak, the immune system, cancer, disease, and consciousness.

Only a very small percentage of the world’s microbes have been discovered, and even less of the much more plentiful and diverse viruses. So, it is not surprising that many dramatic new viruses have recently been found that alter our understanding of evolution. The giant Pandora viruses and many new unique ocean phages have brought forth questions about the validity of the current three-limbed diagram of the tree of life (archaea, bacteria, eukarya). With viruses and virus lik

How can we not appreciate the intelligence, empathy, and wisdom of elephants?How can we allow them to be murdered for their ivory? For generations, those who have known elephants have witnessed their very complex society with highly evolved social capabilities and wise, loving behavior. Legends for a thousand years have described their extraordinary memory and cleverness in their natural surroundings. In captivity, some elephants have become artists. Science is just now provi

50% of the human genome consists of jumping genes or mobile genetic elements. The 8% of human DNA from retroviruses has been vital to human evolution, such as determining the human placenta, epigenetic changes in the brain and digestive enzymes. An epigenetic immune system in the nucleus battles the jumping genes for control of the cell and control of evolution. Jumping genes, being large strands of DNA with specific functions, are much more likely to be the drivers of evol

The octopus has advanced intelligence despite 500 million years of separate evolution from mammals, birds, insects and reptiles. Octopus ancestors are, perhaps, the first intelligent beings on Earth. Recent research is beginning to describe their very unusual talents, behavior and brain, as well as their unique genetic makeup. The fact that such an intelligent creature has no bones or spine has upended theories of animal intelligence. This post will describe recent research a

Many birds have remarkable abilities, far greater than has been considered possible with their small brains. Songbirds are a large category of thousands of species of birds that have advanced vocal learning ability, similar to humans. (See post on vocal learning similarities between humans and songbirds). Some of these bird species are among the most remarkable intelligent animals on earth—crows, jays, magpies, parrots and ravens. Recently, it has become clear that crows are

The regulation of DNA is fantastically complex with many different layers: changing 3D shapes of the chromatin and loops of DNA; regional differences in nuclear DNA; large numbers of different epigenetic tags on DNA nucleotides and protective protein histone molecules; complex DNA repair mechanisms and alternative messenger RNA splicing; hundreds of thousands of transcription factors; and many different kinds of small and large RNAs that influence every aspect of the process.

Since Aristotle many scientists have considered plants robotic, rather than vital intelligent beings. Darwin did not subscribe to this view and published a book about intelligent plant movement where he called the root the plant’s brain. An excellent book summarizing the current data on plant intelligence, Plant Behavior and Intelligence, was written by Anthony Trewavas, emeritus professor at the University of Edinburgh. This book has a wealth of details related to intelligen

Bees use abstract thought and symbolic language. Bees routinely solve the advanced mathematical problem of the travelling salesman. Bees mix medications for their hive and know when a fungus is dangerous. Bees distinguish landscapes scenes, types of flowers, shapes and patterns. Bees forage for information.Bees learn categories, sequences, combinations, and the changes of future rewards.All of these are accomplished by INDIVIDUAL bees, not hives.How can such a small insect be

Completely separated from other plants, such that no chemicals signals can reach them, young chili plants still responded to a predator. Young chili plants can sense neighbors, even as seeds and small seedlings and respond by allocating energy differently to stems and roots. New research shows they sense these neighbors even without light and chemical signals from the soil or the air. Many plants, like chili, respond in competitive environments with faster growth when amon

Plants exhibit elaborate problem solving, planning, communication, and defense in relation to other plants and many different microbe and animal species. They are a lot smarter than most give them credit for. Recent research continues to show their extremely unusual complex behavior. This plant intelligence primer and update will summarize current research—a few exceptional findings then summaries of extraordinary communication and defense abilities. Plant Mathematical Abilit

Previous posts discussed the increased scientific awareness of advanced cognitive abilities in animals both large and small, on land and in water. Although animals other than humans have many intelligent qualities, can they really think, and do they have a complex inner life? Currently, it is not possible to study the subjective inner experience of human beings. How much more difficult is it to understand the inner life of animals with vastly different sensory, and motor sy