| There is an urgent need for a revolution in | | | | order of physical systems can be symbolically |
| biological thinking; especially bio-evolutionary | | | | reproduced and symbols manipulated by |
| thought which is central to the philosophy of | | | | operations of logic to suggest alternative orders. |
| modern scientific biology. A revolution which must | | | | That is what DNA has been doing in the eons of |
| recognize that intelligence is natural both to our | | | | biological evolution; that is the essence of creative |
| biotic and abiotic physical environment and that | | | | intelligent activity. The logic of re-conceptualization |
| intelligent humans are legitimate spawns of an | | | | of DNA function in terms of syntax-driven |
| intelligent abiotic physical world-matrix. | | | | intelligence processes is unassailable. It is only a |
| Biological thinkers are the most naive of scientific | | | | matter of time before we begin unraveling the |
| thinkers and philosophers. In spite of recent | | | | secrets of that inscrutable-faced intelligent robotic |
| advances in information technology, biological | | | | molecule, DNA. The earlier we live behind the |
| scientists are yet to appreciate that the age-old | | | | prejudices accumulated from a history of conflict |
| notion of intelligence as something "supernatural" | | | | between religion and science, the better for us all. |
| or "spiritual" has been dispelled, once and for all, in | | | | A well known evolutionist recently demonstrated |
| science and technology of artificial intelligence | | | | the power of prejudice in the matter of |
| programming and systems design. At the present | | | | recognition of the special status of intelligence in |
| status of knowledge and insight, the notion of | | | | nature by his contribution to a debate over the |
| intelligence in nature is no more a subject for | | | | possibility of intelligent life in outer space. He tried |
| metaphysical studies but one which can be studied | | | | to ridicule those who believe that if intelligent life |
| "objectively" in the laboratory(or wherever the | | | | could arise on the earth then it must have arisen |
| scientist chooses). The traditional knee-jerk | | | | in several other parts of the universe by drawing |
| response to any reference to intelligence in the | | | | a spoofing analogy in the argument that if |
| problem of origin of life is a woefully outmoded | | | | elephant trunks have evolved on earth then it |
| one which, it would appear, biologists are the | | | | must also have evolved elsewhere in the universe. |
| most committed of physical scientists. One | | | | His argument arises from the misconception that |
| suspects that the need to hold grounds against | | | | intelligence is just another thing in nature like |
| religious "creationists" and not yield an inch to | | | | elephant trunks. He couldn't have been more |
| them in the age-old conflict of religion and science | | | | mistaken. His analogy was like trying to compare |
| is the reason why the obvious insights afforded | | | | the fundamental element hydrogen to chocolates |
| by computer and software engineering is not | | | | in the grand cosmic order of things! |
| being fully exploited to the advantage of the | | | | So innately fundamental and ubiquitous is |
| biological sciences, especially the field of molecular | | | | intelligence in the biotic and abiotic environment |
| genetics. | | | | that we tend to take its manifestations for |
| The concept of intelligent design in evolution of | | | | granted like fish might be justified in taking water |
| species has been brought within the boundaries of | | | | for granted and failing to be impressed by its |
| what science can fruitfully investigate. Pre-scientific | | | | manifestations. The difference between symbol |
| cultures needed God or nature spirits to explain | | | | creating and information communicating functions |
| intelligent design, but modern science can begin | | | | of the human mind in human culture, and the DNA |
| investigating the concept in the possibility that the | | | | powered culture of biology is only superficial. We |
| structure of DNA might have some form of | | | | are dealing with two manifestations of the same |
| intelligence code programmed into it. How the | | | | principle in nature. The naivete of biological |
| program was written, or by whom, is the subject | | | | scientists who entertain the notion that the |
| for another level of investigation, but the fear of | | | | complex behavioral skills of biological systems are |
| the consequences of yielding ground to ignorantly | | | | mere products of chance and accident is |
| gloating creationist philistines is not enough reason | | | | remarkable. Ant brains do calculus; cells do |
| to turn a blind eye to the glaring evidence that | | | | arithmetic, implement logic operations, information |
| we live in a world ruled over by intelligence. It is | | | | storage and retrieval. Birds navigate by observing |
| interesting that physicists have been in the | | | | the stellar constellations. Bees manage the |
| forefront of revolutionary thinking, which begins to | | | | engineering complexities of solar navigation. One |
| investigate wholly in the terms of the language of | | | | could go on endlessly. We are like fish in water. |
| science, how we can begin re-conceptualizing our | | | | We are so used to seeing the evidence of |
| world in the terms of knowledge and insight we | | | | intelligent design around us, that we have grown |
| have acquired from our foray into information and | | | | blind in "scientific objectivity" to its implications to |
| computer science technology. | | | | any theory of "origin of species" we may dare |
| Computer scientists beginning with Alan Turing | | | | dream up. |
| have demystified the concept of intelligence. The | | | | |