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Your genome only needs to store the information necessary for the lineage leading to you to survive and compete in the range of environmental variation that act

Your genome only needs to store the information necessary for the lineage leading to you to survive and compete in the range of environmental variation that actually happened. Consequently, your DNA has less information about how to survive on Jupiter or in the absence of oxygen. However, your genome contains a fair amount of data on how to identify a mate that will maximize your reproductive success in an environment similar to the one your lineage experienced, e.g., a preference for symmetrical faces. Until we can measure the environment of humans accurately, all the algorithmic complexity measures applied to the genome are going to be missing the relevant context.

boshalfoshal 1y ago
The way I think about it, DNA is just a metaprogram. The "programs" this metaprogram create (brain, gut, other organs, etc). can be far more information dense and complex than the actual metaprogram that initially created them. The real interesting part is _how_ this small metaprogram can generate something like a brain, which is ostensibly multiples more complex than the DNA that produced it, since obviously DNA cannot possibly encode the data for every possible synaptic connection or protein or whatever losslessly. I think this is more of a testament to how complex the human body is, that it has such complex seemingly emergent behavior from a very sparse set of initial conditions.
- ueueejdnsk 1y ago
  This! DNA is like the ISA, the environment and biological processes created by it is the software and therefore dominates DNA maxis exist because the idea of being genetically superior is deeply attractive to the privileged and powerful to justify their position independently of their circumstances of origin
  - ueueejdnsk 1y ago
    To add, obviously the hardware and ISA matter on a per-task basis and might provide some competitive advantages - eg sport, conventional/western beauty standards, some intellectual capabilities, but again, survival of your genes is dominated by birth circumstances
  - rowanG077 1y ago
    I'm not sure what DNA maxis means. But there certainly is precedent that some genetic code is superior for some environments than others. That's basically the entire argument evolution hinges on.
    - ueueejdnsk 1y ago
      that’s what I mean by ‘maxis’ — the people that rarely, if ever, acknowledge epigenetics. They focus entirely on DNA / Darwinian evolutionary theory from centuries ago, ignoring environmental evolution, or to put it another way — evolution that happens as part of your lived experience opening the door to the heretical idea that they are where they are because of birth luck
      - rowanG077 1y ago
        Isn't "good" DNA the ultimate form of birth luck? An extreme example: down syndrome. No matter what you let the average person with down syndrome experience experience, they will never keep up intellectually. I still don't really understand what you are really saying here, and how epigenetics factor into it. I'm not an expert, but from what I understand epigenetics are essentially the sauce on top.
        ueueejdnsk 1y ago
        No rich parents in a rich country are
        rowanG077 1y ago
        So you'd take having down syndrome in the US with rich parents over being born with Paul Allen level intelligence to poor parents in the US? That's certainly an argument.
        ueueejdnsk 1y ago
        That’s a straw man of my argument. Born with Down Syndrome in the US versus Paul Allen level intelligence in Gaza?

boshalfoshal 1y ago

The way I think about it, DNA is just a metaprogram. The "programs" this metaprogram create (brain, gut, other organs, etc). can be far more information dense and complex than the actual metaprogram that initially created them. The real interesting part is _how_ this small metaprogram can generate something like a brain, which is ostensibly multiples more complex than the DNA that produced it, since obviously DNA cannot possibly encode the data for every possible synaptic connection or protein or whatever losslessly. I think this is more of a testament to how complex the human body is, that it has such complex seemingly emergent behavior from a very sparse set of initial conditions.

ueueejdnsk 1y ago
This! DNA is like the ISA, the environment and biological processes created by it is the software and therefore dominates DNA maxis exist because the idea of being genetically superior is deeply attractive to the privileged and powerful to justify their position independently of their circumstances of origin
- ueueejdnsk 1y ago
  To add, obviously the hardware and ISA matter on a per-task basis and might provide some competitive advantages - eg sport, conventional/western beauty standards, some intellectual capabilities, but again, survival of your genes is dominated by birth circumstances
- rowanG077 1y ago
  I'm not sure what DNA maxis means. But there certainly is precedent that some genetic code is superior for some environments than others. That's basically the entire argument evolution hinges on.
  - ueueejdnsk 1y ago
    that’s what I mean by ‘maxis’ — the people that rarely, if ever, acknowledge epigenetics. They focus entirely on DNA / Darwinian evolutionary theory from centuries ago, ignoring environmental evolution, or to put it another way — evolution that happens as part of your lived experience opening the door to the heretical idea that they are where they are because of birth luck
    - rowanG077 1y ago
      Isn't "good" DNA the ultimate form of birth luck? An extreme example: down syndrome. No matter what you let the average person with down syndrome experience experience, they will never keep up intellectually. I still don't really understand what you are really saying here, and how epigenetics factor into it. I'm not an expert, but from what I understand epigenetics are essentially the sauce on top.
      - ueueejdnsk 1y ago
        No rich parents in a rich country are
        rowanG077 1y ago
        So you'd take having down syndrome in the US with rich parents over being born with Paul Allen level intelligence to poor parents in the US? That's certainly an argument.
        ueueejdnsk 1y ago
        That’s a straw man of my argument. Born with Down Syndrome in the US versus Paul Allen level intelligence in Gaza?