How to slow down ageing on Earth and in space
Graham Lawton pointed out many of the similarities between the lifestyles of astronauts and older people, and how research into preventing ageing in astronauts could help us all. For example, both microgravity and sitting on the sofa too much cause muscle wasting, and both can be prevented by exercise (30 May, p 18).
However, perhaps astronauts would also benefit from breathing fresh air, feeling the wind in their hair, seeing plants grow, putting their bare hands into the earth, smelling botanicals, hearing birdsong and watching waves breaking on a beach while walking barefoot on the sand. Maybe one day, in very large space stations, all these will be possible.
Meanwhile, let’s make sure our older people, and those who are in care homes or hospitals, are not deprived of these joys.
Alternative views on the meaning of love (1)
I read with interest the article “Trying to solve the mystery of love”. However, I believe the idea that love has (only) three core pillars (intimacy, passion and commitment) misses what should be a key factor in human pair bonding. The ancient Greeks used several words for love. One of them, agape, might be described as selflessness. While intimacy might grow stale as passion 鈥� often linked to sexual attraction 鈥� becomes less relevant, and commitment might lead to possessiveness, selfless care for a partner has no such downside. As partners grow more frail, selfless care becomes more important, and this love doesn’t fade (23 May, p 10).
Alternative views on the meaning of love (2)
After the big bang, electrons created from gamma rays would be entangled. According to a previous New 杏吧原创 article, electrons in the human gut are entangled. Falling in love could involve two peoples’ electrons somehow becoming entangled, or previously entangled electrons from the big bang meeting each other, again leading to love.
Considering The Selfish Gene 50 years on (1)
I remember seeing Richard Dawkins and Desmond Morris chatting during drinks breaks in the Oxford zoology department in the early 1970s. I was a graduate student. I accepted the premise of The Selfish Gene when it was published in 1976, but as I learned more, I became increasingly sceptical. Where in our DNA does a gene begin and end? How can cooperative behaviour between genes or species be explained by selfish genes? I even had a letter published in New 杏吧原创 on the latter subject. Fifty years on, I am grateful to Rowan Hooper’s article, which explains how Dawkins has addressed these doubts, though not all are convinced (23 May, p 32).
Considering The Selfish Gene 50 years on (2)
I find the argument against Dawkins’s memes 鈥� neither passed on, nor immortal 鈥� unconvincing. Genes are not immutable; mutation of genes is a tenet of evolution. The only significant difference between genes and memes is in the timescale: it usually takes many generations for a successful gene to emerge or a bad gene to be eliminated, but a popular meme can come and go in a fraction of a species’ lifetime.
However, that is not to say a gene necessarily outlives a meme. The seasonal flu is an example of genes that come and go, but memes like hunting techniques and songs of many intelligent species can be passed down for generations, and they can even perpetuate themselves by promoting genes that favour those memes. Other examples of long-lived memes include stories, games, words, gestures, recipes, conspiracy theories, use of tokens and phrases like “selfish gene”.
Considering The Selfish Gene 50 years on (3)
It has been pointed out that The Descent of Man would have been more welcome as The Ascent of Man. Similarly, I think that The Selfish Gene (which implies an immoral motivation) might have been better received, and even understood, as The Single-Minded Gene.
More on consciousness and the wave function
Regarding the debate on wave function collapse and human consciousness, Andrew Smyth suggests a universe where reality depends on human awareness, while Nick Canning’s correction 鈥� declaring the mechanism “entirely mechanical” 鈥� reduces quantum physics to a 19th-century grandfather clock (Letters, 30 May).
Both are incorrect. Apparent collapse is caused by the omnipresent interaction of quantum fields, a universal process independent of human observation or mechanical gears. “Observation” is simply a specific physical interaction where fields collide. There are no gears turning and no minds wishing; there are only field couplings, entanglement and decoherence.
The human-imposed guard rails of AI
In her letter, Jacqueline Christmas misses the point that it was exactly such human-imposed guard rails that I was looking for in my correspondence with AI concerning nuclear weapons. Another insight into the nature of AI came when I asked ChatGPT if Eric was a suitable name for a pet caterpillar, and if it would be OK to take it for walks on a lead. The large language model (LLM) replied that Eric was a perfectly suitable name, but advised against taking my caterpillar for walks on a lead, as it might pull on the lead and hurt itself. In such ways, LLMs reveal their true nature (Letters, 23 May).
How to remove all the emissions from shipping
The article that considers the possibility of using wind and route planning to reduce the fuel consumption of cargo ships suggests some interesting techniques to achieve future energy savings. It’s rather unfortunate the researchers don’t seem aware that many cargo ships in the past were achieving a 100 per cent energy saving (30 May, p 9). These vessels were of course called sailing ships!
For the record
Pancreatic cancer tumours have tough, fibrous exteriors (6 June, p 7)