Download Genetic Mutation - Raymond Williams Foundation

Genetic Mutation – and family history continued…
Dc Tue 22 May at The Blue Mugge pub
Based on the BBC IoT broadcast with title Genetic Mutation, in 2007.
1.
I thought that the above programme would help us. Alas, as an adult education experience
(on form, IoT is often a superb example) this particular programme was zilch, merited ‘Nul
Points’ or, at best, just 3 out of 10 on standard education ratings… If any Muggers have
heard it and can offer a more generous view, I’ll try to be open-minded and revise scores
upwards…
2. Certainly there were big general themes referred to: ‘genetics – the science of difference…’;
‘ mutation – the raw material of evolution… fuel for the Darwinian factory’; ‘What is Life? –
unlike, say a pebble, living beings store information and also develop it over time…’;
attempted explanations of ‘enzymes, DNA, ‘the gene pool’, ‘randomness, and genetic drift…’
, ‘induced mutations’ , ‘disease, the ageing process and mutations’. The programme
finished with a few seconds on ‘controlling mutations’ and the potential for ‘artificially
designed mutation changes’. It was all hard-work, though, for a layman to understand, to
follow and make connections.
Melvyn did his best, but even he, at the end, seemed less
than enthusiastic with his learned guests. Fascinating how highly intelligent specialists can
sometimes be so hopeless at conveying interest and significance to ‘outsiders’?
3. Move on quickly to what may make more sense, connecting back to our earlier fascinating
Mugge discussion on ‘Family History’… Dawkins book The Selfish Gene (1976) is
summarized usefully in Wikipedia as a ‘way of expressing a gene-centred view of evolution’.
The paradox and the mis-nomer of the phrase ‘selfish gene’ is stressed. ‘Dawkins does not
mean a selfishness gene’. He’s saying that ‘it makes more sense for them (related genes) to
behave selflessly with each other… ‘ Now he would prefer the name ‘the immortal gene’…
4. Therefore, the concept is especially good at explaining altruism. So, quite the contrary to a
crude ‘social Darwinism’ which interprets ‘the survival of the fittest’ to mean: social
competitiveness in which the strongest and most selfishly aggressive win through…*
5. Back to our earlier discussion on family relations when several present referred to stepparents; also to those who adopt children, and the adopted, having similar emotional ‘family’
attachments to ‘blood relationships’. So, ‘genetic inheritance’ bonds can go back millennia?
6. The ‘selfish gene’, as above, raises interesting issues about competitiveness and cooperation.
Most humans love competition, of course - witness Chelsea winning the European Cup and
consider the Olympic Games, shortly.
But, games and sports involve rules usually implying
respect for opponents, and ‘playing the game’ fairly. In team sports the players working
together most cooperatively are more likely to win?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
If time, or for the future: * ‘Social Darwinism’ has underpinned crude capitalist
competitiveness. A strong Observer editorial today (20th May) headlined ‘A calamitous
strategy with no end in sight’ states that this strategy (rampant unregulated capitalism) has
been ‘an intellectual carapace to permit the creation of dynastic personal fortunes while
dismantling the social contract that underpins the lives of millions.’ That dismantling goes
back and continued apace, assisted by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown? But maybe this is
taking ‘genetic mutation’ (Thatcher/Blair/Brown) a step too far, even for the Mugge?
DT.