The Gene God

"We are survival machines, but 'we' does not mean just people.  It embraces all animals, plants, bacteria, and viruses." (page 23)

Reality just became a little more comforting.  Humans are not the only bitter tyrants around in the universe.  What happened with the preferred stable things of the universe? I guess the universe doesn't really control how stable we are.  According to science, our genes do that for us.  They are the things that make us survival machines, not our "monkey see, monkey do" past.  At least, this is what the next quote made me  understand.  

"The evolutionary importance of the fact that genes control embryonic development is this: it means that genes are at least partly responsible for their own survival in the future, because their survival depends on the efficiency of the bodies in which they live and which they helped to build." (pages 23-24)

If this is true, can we ever stop being survival machines? Can our genes change or evolve and turn us into something completely different? In the end, can we stop being selfish? According to Dawkins, no. We will never stop being selfish.  It is to be expected in any basic unit of natural selection.

Natural Selection: (n) According the Darwin's theory of evolution, it is the process in which organisms best adapt to their surroundings or environment.  This process is done so that the organism can achieve in surviving.  Once the organism has adapted, it can pass the genes to their offspring.  Therefore, that organism will survive in the future while others who have not adapted will die.  

Immortality.  The one thing that shows the difference between Gods, super heroes, and humans.  Imagine what life would be like if everyone and everything was immortal.  It would be pretty cool, not mentioning the fact that the world would be overpopulated.  The Earth would look like the home of bunnies and rats. New organisms by the month! So, I guess everyone and everything being immortal isn't such a good idea today.  I always though it would be awesome to figure out that something is actually immortal.  Something factual like an actual person or animal.  I was definitely not thinking about genes when the idea popped into my head. Think about it, genes are passed on generation by generation.  They almost always have the exact same info unless adaption is 100% necessary.  They are not destroyed by the obstacles they must constantly pass through in their survival machine or body.  Like Dawkins says in page 35, "... genes are forever." So face it guys, we will never ever stop being selfish.  It is in our genes and genes never die.  They go on for millions and millions of years, and if something does go wrong their offspring takes over.  Then once again that gene lives for millions and millions of years.  

"The gene is the basic unit of selfishness." (page 36)

"It is differences that matter in the competitive struggle to survive; and it is genetically-controlled differences that matter in evolution."

My opinion has definitely not changed from my previous blog about chapter 2.  Sorry guys! Unless we find a way to change our genes or to "fix them", we will always be selfish organisms roaming around the earth.  The only comforting news about this is that we are not alone.  We have each other and even animals, plants, bacteria, and viruses are frowned upon in the eyes of Richard Dawkins.