Researchers Show How The Brain Turns On Innate Behavior

Science Daily ^ | July 28, 2006 | University of California - Riverside

[Maelstorm]

I was wondering when someone would get around to figuring this out. Now the question is how to you program these built in behaviors?

[FairOpinion]

PING

[nmh]

It sure wasn't "evolution"!

It was God.

[GSlob]

"Now the question is how do you program these built in behaviors?"
By writing [or re-writing] a genome. In a few centuries it might become possible - one would be able to dial a baby with, say, Michelangelo level genius, or other pre-determined and desirable characteristics. Life will become a lot of fun, assuming that septic tanks will drive and operate themselves [and the same applies for all other drudgery].

[butternut_squash_bisque]

"Using the common fruit fly as a model organism..."

Substitute liberal-demokkkRATs when they run out of flies. Same thing.

[Bad~Rodeo]

Gee and all this time I tought it had to do with one's social enviroment and or religious up-bringing, ie: brain washing, silly me.

[Maelstorm]

I think this really opens up a lot of questions and really complicates things for those who wish to ignore the clear evidence of intricate design in the biological world. I noticed this when I was researching the behavior of "cowbirds". It struck me that such behavior arising from natural selection was a real leap. Many coevolutionary relationships present this problem whether they be parasitic or symbiotic or a combination of the two. It will be interesting to see where this goes but of course this brings up the possibility of creating far more effective behavior control substances for use in treatments or other less benign applications.

http://inin.essortment.com/cowbird_rkws.htm

[silverleaf]

Someday a cure for homosexuality?

[adorno]

It amazes me that we humans have to learn some behaviours in order to learn to get along with the world or in many cases, to save our lives.

My two cats, at the slightest distant rumbling of an oncoming thunder-storm instandly and hurriedly head to my downstairs bathroom for their "protection". We humans had to be taught to get to the sturdiest room in the house in case of possible destructive danger to the house.

Aside from humans having superior intelligence, which animal has the superior weapons at their disposal? The animal that instinctively does what's necessary or the animal that has to learn the same behaviour?

[MHGinTN]

The researchers report that the command hormone, called ecdysis-triggering hormone or ETH, activates discrete groups of brain peptide neurons in a stepwise manner, making the fruit fly perform a well-defined sequence of behaviors. The researchers propose that similar mechanisms could account for innate behaviors in other animals and even humans. A major leap of understanding 'how' it is accomplished? I'm waiting for soemone to define the phase shift from biochemical processes to 'behavior' that enhances survival. A possible analogy is a computer taking in data sets and then transforming the data sets to output a motion and function which aids the survival of the computer but which is a qualitative phase shift from the data sets input. When science can define that phase shift process as well as they define the electron jump in energy states with the exclusionary principle and energy shells, then we'll really be getting somewhere.

[Maelstorm]

I think that is pretty straightforward. All that junk DNA may be the storage place for behavioral data. The question I have is what is the mechanism for encoding new behaviors naturally.
Simple mutations and natural selection as defined currently seems to be lacking where this is concerned.

http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=104238

[MHGinTN]

It is almost as if the cats have lived before and experienced death from the oncoming phenomenon and somehow carry that memory through into successive lives. I have one cat who does similar to your cats, but the other cat igmores the exact same phenomenon the first cats is reacting to.

[GSlob]

Wait a few centuries. What is being done now is trying to read a genome at the level of reading abilities of a child of 4 years. First, we'll get to a facile reading, then [or simultaneously] to understanding of the text - on many levels, literary style included. And then [or again, overlapping] - to learning to write our own texts. It's not enough to know where it is - one needs to know why it is there and not [i.e. what would happen if it were] someplace else, and how it works while there.

[sourcery]

I predict defense attorneys will try to use this information to show that the criminal behavior of their clients was "innate," and so beyond their control.

[patton]

Where, exactly, do you want your septic tank to drive to?

[Gumlegs]

No ... there are some things a fruit fly won't do.

[GSlob]

Should have been "truck". Sorry for the error. From the waste source and to the treatment facility.

[butternut_squash_bisque]

You're absolutely right, G: fruit flies have integrity; lib-dem trash, don't. My bad.

[patton]

Hey, it was worth a laugh. ;)

[nitzy]

I wonder how long it will take the egg head liberal educrats who run the university research labs to delete the common sense conservatism gene.