[Right Wing Professor]

What I am forcing people on this thread to admit is that our cellular system processes Base 2/Base 4 mathematical commands and data. This is a key point toward understanding the difference between 19th century theories (e.g. Evolution) from that of 21st century science

When an E. coli goes through 10 cycles of division, all that results is you have 1024 identical copies of the same E. coli. In what sense is information processed, rather than simply duplicated?

[Southack]

"When an E. coli goes through 10 cycles of division, all that results is you have 1024 identical copies of the same E. coli. In what sense is information processed, rather than simply duplicated?"

Nice question, by the way (easy answer, though)!

When the E. coli (or any other organism) goes through cell division, its DNA system processes the mathematical instructions contained in its genes.

Because these instructions are processed instead of merely expressed (i.e. copied/templated/et al), all genes therein will be replicated in their entire-ity EVEN THOUGH some of those genes may be turned off.

But a blind "expressive" system will merely copy something (think of a photocopier). To turn off a part in an expressive system, that part of the template must be entirely deleted, overwritten, or erased. Thus, whatever is copied in a blind, expressive system must be active / turned ON.

In contrast, an active processing system can turn off part of itself without deleting it, without erasing it, without overwritting it, etc. A system that processes instructions can be told to copy, but not execute, the commands/data in question.

Thus, your E. Coli example will copy ALL of its genes even though some of those genes are turned off.