An Effort to Explain the Process of Body Formation
| Scientific Paper | |
|---|---|
| Title | An Effort to Explain the Process of Body Formation |
| Read in full | Link to paper |
| Author(s) | Per Jonson |
| Keywords | slime molds, cells, altruism, evolution, body formation |
| Published | 2009 |
| Journal | None |
| No. of pages | 30 |
Read the full paper here
Abstract
ABOUT THE ABSTRACT
Please note: The abstract is not originally written by the author of the paper, but consists of
an effort to condensate the content in a shape common to scientific abstracts, performed by a
son of his. He himself was due to his unprecedented decease unable to fulfil the publication of
the paper.
ABSTRACTIn this paper a model for body formation is proposed, to a large extent founded upon a
biologically extended concept of ?altruism?, as contrasted to ?selfishness?. Though originally
selfish, cells seem to be able to act, as if were there an altruistic option, available at events of
deep crisis concerning the very survival of a society, as its destruction seems inevitable.
In the paper a special focus is put upon the properties of slime molds, but initially the
situation for prisoners in a concentration camp during a night formation in a severe cold
weather is described. Facing the common threat to freeze to death, they begin to unify as a
group, paradoxically feeling joy and strength being together, in spite of the killing cold.
External threats, that disable the individuals of a population from functioning, seem to release
supreme, thus far hidden, functions of the individual cells, which enable them to together
form a new body, on a higher existential level. However, once formed, these in turn begin to
exert selfishness. Hence, it is possible to draw the conclusion that there exists a balance of
forces between properties defined as altruistic and properties defined as selfish.
In connection with the process, during which cells under outer pressure unify with other cells,
thereby attaining a higher state, they lose their selfishness and begin obeying the orders given
by the new body. This is thoroughly being analysed in the paper.
