Altruistic, self-sacrificing amoebae that fight cheaters a challenge for Francis Collins

[drbeerbread]

Actually, look up reciprocal altruism in an evolutionary biology textbook. You'll find how true altruism can evolve easily.

[jib1000]

Altruism does NOT exist. Anything that people claim to be altruistic is actually selfishness.

[wimsweden]

@jib1000

If an atheist soldier were to throw herself onto a grenade to save her fellow soldiers, what would you call that?

[jib1000]

@wimsweden Selfishness

From the time you are a little child you're told to do things to help others because you would want others to help you.

Being a "hero" is one of the best things you can hope to achieve.

People are selfish. If we weren't we'd be extinct. End of story. Try reading a book.

[jib1000]

@jib1000 Also the only Army where women see combat on a routine basis is the Israel army, so she wouldn't be atheist.

[wimsweden]

@jib1000

"Also the only Army where women see combat on a routine basis is the Israel army, so she wouldn't be atheist." LOL. Being a Jew is not limited to a religion, it's also considered an ethnicity and/or a cultural identity. Amos Oz is an atheist Jew and he served in the IDF. Look up "Jewish atheists" or "secular judaism"/"humanistic judaism". These are not small groups.

[jib1000]

@wimsweden Only 3.9% of the people living in Israel are "non religious". So its safe bet that any woman in the Israel armed forces who is seeing combat is religious.

Almost ALL people belonging to the groups you described (Jewish atheists etc) live outside of Israel. Your point is mute.

[wimsweden]

@jib1000

I'm not sure why you're hung up on the woman thing. Replace it with a "he" if you can't get passed the gender. Where are you getting the 3.9% from? The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs states that 20% of the Israeli population consider themselves secular Jews. 14% do not believe in a god outright, and 24% are not sure a god exists.

"...live outside of Israel." I have just proven that wrong.

"Your point is mute." That would be "moot".

[wimsweden]

@jib1000

"Try reading a book." Try not to to be arrogant and presumptuous.

[deanabraxas69]

It just goes to show that these people understand almost nothing about modern evolutionary science. Individual success and survival is secondary to the collective survival of the species. Even Dawkins old "Selfish Gene" discusses that. Cooperation is just as important to competition... its obvious really.

[Baldurthegood]

meh, I think apoptosis is incredible until people try to attach a larger message to it like altruism. The dead amoeba didn't decide to give up it's life. It's not on a little cross for the sins of its mates. This is people attaching human struggles to a biological process thats about as emotional as, well, slime.

[diggsdad]

@Baldurthegood As above so below...i dont have a problem with the view put forth.

[folofol]

аболдеть, у амеб социализм!

[LossT665]

за такими организмами будущее, не за человеком..)

[Way2Spirited]

This whole concept of "cheaters" and "nobles" seems suspiciously like subconscious self projection to me. It's one way to look at things, through a very colonial lens. DEcolonize your mind. :o)

[wimsweden]

@Way2Spirited

It's human language projected onto other organisms, for sure, but it does reveal a level of social organisation that shows possible antecedents to our own social structuring, which is a large component of our ethical lives.

[TiagoTiagoT]

i was expecting the video to at least give a layman's version of how it happens with the amoebas, instead of just saying it happens :(

[wimsweden]

@TiagoTiagoT

See links in description box before pouting. ;)

[flux627]

Do amoebae have free will?

[metaneme]

@flux627 do humans? search "The Illusion of Free Will"

[moegreen2]

@flux627 I thought there was only one will, free or not.