Darwin

Charles Brown CharlesB at CNCL.ci.detroit.mi.us
Wed Aug 11 08:16:34 PDT 1999


There is a physics to the size, as well as the shape, of species. See "On Being the Right Size" by J.B.S. Haldane ( _Possible Worlds and other essays 1927).

Charles Brown


>>> "Lisa & Ian Murray" <seamus at accessone.com> 08/10/99 10:11PM >>>
Got any references Chuck? For others interested in this stuff, "The Self-Made Tapestry" by Philip Ball is a great place to flex your dendrites (too bad the photos are only in b/w)

ian


> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> [mailto:owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com]On Behalf Of Chuck Grimes
> Sent: Monday, August 09, 1999 12:48 PM
> To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> Subject: Re: Darwin
>
>
> > The idea is to explain something or describe how general
> symmetrical shapes are formed. It involves gravity and group
> theory. Still interested?
>
> Bring it on!
>
> ken
> ----------------------
>
> Okay. There are several pieces to this idea and the
> relationships will not be obvious at first. Try and bare with.
>
> There is a biological problem trying to explain how plants and animals
> have taken on their generalized shapes. By shape I mean a crude
> symmetrical form. For example, we have a bilateral symmetry and
> starfish have a radial symmetry. Although the shapes make sense in a
> functional way, and for animals this is usually explained in terms of
> mobility, there doesn't seem to be any biological principle involved.
> In other words, in biology it is any form that works. But this just
> kicks the question out the door. What determines what works?
>



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