1.
a. "99% of the most critical DNA sites are identical in human and chimp genes"
This finding is interesting to me for two reasons. First, it is always intriguing to note the idea of "critical DNA" in research, how it effects the reception of the findings, and how it reflects our understanding of our own genome. That some DNA is "critical" leaves the rest to be... what? Secondly, I love the idea that we are so genetically similar to chimps! Yay for pan sapiens! It's comforting to think about having close planetary cousins, almost like discovering a long lost relative.
b. Wow! Prokaryotes are awesome. I had no idea that they moved at 30 mph, or that our own mitochondria are prokaryotes. It is also terrifying to think that we may be creating diseases that we cannot fight with our use of antibiotics. Eukaryotes may be more complex, but it seems like the prokaryotes will win out in the end after all.
2. Cybernetics and Autopoiesis
The study of cybernetics and classification of "autopoietic" both rely on the concept of a closed system and the relative scale of observation. Studying engineering, we talked a lot about systems and their borders - distinguishing a system as "closed" or "open"... though, of course, no system is ever truly "closed". Similarly, it seems to me that no system could ever be truly autopoietic or allopoietic, because every tiny cell and every giant planet is a part of a larger system. So, my question is: is the universe autopoietic? What if it were allopoietic? What comes after infinity?
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