[From Rick Marken (950810.2120)]
Bill Powers (950806.2300 MDT) --
In standard natural selection, there is only one error: death.
Bruce Nevin (950810 17:35 EDT) --
No: failure to replicate
No, death. You haven't failed to replicate for sure until you've
died;-)
Also, from the point of view of the organism, the only error that
can be "experienced" is death. Natural selection is not based on
the idea that organisms have a reference for perceiving themselves
"replicated". Some people seem to have that reference (unfortunately);
but I don't believe that lower organisms really care whether they
get replicated or not. They might care whether or not they get laid,
but that's quite different than replicating.
Bruce Nevin (950810 19:07 EDT) --
I asked about the viability of a science about "social" structures that are
in principle imperceptible to us in the way that our perceptual universe is
beyond the ken of our cells and vice versa. I should have asked a bit
more.
Is such a science even doable?
Sure. As long as there are perceptible consequences of the existence
of there imperceptible social control systems. All you need to find
are controlled variables that are not being controlled by any visible
control system or collection of control systems.
Best
Rick