Serious Do you think knowledge can be passed down genetically?

[Mr. Ponzi]

Do you think a parent can learn something in life and then pass that information down non-verbally, by the means of genes? Because this would speed up the evolution process, which would otherwise be passed down by trial and error, by selection.
Life is a mostly a game of sexual manipulation and we already know things without being told, by instinct. If a person learns a new trick or figures out valuable information about how to outsmart others, do you think that info can be passed down by means of genes? Can the child know by instinct what the parent figured out before him?

 

[Henry de Montherlant]

I think the capacity to learn things can be passed down genetically, but the "actual knowledge" can't.

If you're raised by your high IQ parents and if they are very concerned about your education, it's basically the same though.

 

[lastchancel]

no bro

 

[Mr. Ponzi]

I think the capacity to learn things can be passed down genetically, but the "actual knowledge" can't.

If you're raised by your high IQ parents and if they are very concerned about your education, it's basically the same though.

I know what you mean, but I think we already know stuff. Even animals, dogs know how to berry bones for instance, without being told why or how. Female lions know what sexual strategy to choose in order to keep male lions from killing their offspring. Humans as well, we know stuff by default, without being told. To evolve just by natural selection seems such a slow process.

 

[Deleted member 12355]

I mean, humans don't have to be taught how to walk, we start doing it naturally, just takes a bit longer. So in that sense, there's genetic knowledge

 

[Mr. Ponzi]

I mean, humans don't have to be taught how to walk, we start doing it naturally, just takes a bit longer. So in that sense, there's genetic knowledge

Yes, but let's say a parent figures out something new, for instance how to seduce better or manipulate better. Can he/she pass down this new learned trick that previously was not encoded in the genes?

 

[Deleted member 12355]

Yes, but let's say a parent figures out something new, for instance how to seduce better or manipulate better. Can he/she pass down this new learned trick that previously was not encoded in the genes?

not genetically boyo. Come on bruh

 

[weloverope]

i think it depends what you mean by knowledge

sure my mother passed her anxiety and depression onto me, and my father passed down his ability to be a defender in soccer

but i learned for example the quadratic formula, what caused ww2, etc

 

[Mr. Ponzi]

not genetically boyo. Come on bruh

I know it sounds weird, but otherwise we would only evolve by genetic accident. Definitely plausible, but it sounds very slow and inefficient to me.

i think it depends what you mean by knowledge

Yes, mostly instinctual knowledge, not encyclopedia knowledge. How to read a person better, how to seduce, how to manipulate, etc.

 

[Aureum]

Humans have revolutionized evolution already by the means of speech, that way they don't need to pass down knowledge genetically which takes millions of years and trial and error ofcourse.

 

[Deleted member 12355]

I know it sounds weird, but otherwise we would only evolve by genetic accident. Definitely plausible, but it sounds very slow and inefficient to me.

No. Simply put, we would evolve by way of natural selection. Within this is encompassed mutations, among other things. We don't just evolve by mutations in other words

 

[Mr. Ponzi]

No. Simply put, we would evolve by way of natural selection. Within this is encompassed sexual selection and mutations, among other things. We don't just evolve by mutations in other words

Yes, I know the Dawkins perspective. It just seems a very slow process for some very complex minds that seem to already know by instinct a lot of tricks. But yeah maybe on a second though we're not that complex after all and maybe good ol' natural selection is enough.

 

[Deleted member 12355]

Yes, I know the Dawkins perspective. It just seems a very slow process for some very complex minds that seem to already know by instinct a lot of tricks. But yeah maybe on a second though we're not that complex after all and maybe good ol' natural selection is enough.

You're thinking about it the wrong way. Say there is a genetic proclivity for making one a good liar, being manipulative for example, this genetic trait would spread in environments where it is useful and beneficial for the survival of one's own genes to be a liar. It's not so much actual knowledge as it is tendencies that are being passed down

 

[Mr. Ponzi]

You're thinking about it the wrong way. Say there is a genetic proclivity for making one a good liar, being manipulative for example, this genetic trait would spread in environments where it is useful and beneficial for the survival of one's own genes. It's not so much actual knowledge as it is tendencies that are being passed down

No no, I'm definitely familiar with the standard perspective, I know what you mean. But think about it this way, regarding your example. Say the good liar spreads because it is proper to lie. Say we have Liar Father now breeding a Liar Son in a village full of naive people. Meanwhile a Naive Mother in the village (not the spouse of the Liar Father, just a random woman) figures out that that Liar Father is a liar, after careful observation. She figures out what gives him away, for instance his voice is uneasy when he tells a lie. Now, in order for this woman to give birth to Non-Naive Daughter, basically a daughter who knows by instinct and not by being told that a trembling voice is a sign of insincerity, we have 2 ways:
1. Classical natural selection way - the Naive Mother just breeds multiple daughters, maybe a genetic accident happens, maybe not.. kinda slow and random. The knowledge would have to be transmitted verbally.
2. The info gets encoded in the genes and daughter knows, much faster.

Now the Non-Naive Daughter can easily and efficiently outsmart the Liar Son, optimizing the game in her interest.

 

[Deleted member 12355]

No no, I'm definitely familiar with the standard perspective, I know what you mean. But think about it this way, regarding your example. Say the good liar spreads because it is proper to lie. Say we have Liar Father now breeding a Liar Son in a village full of naive people. Meanwhile a Naive Mother in the village (not the spouse of the Liar Father, just a random woman) figures out that that Liar Father is a liar, after careful observation. She figures out what gives him away, for instance his voice is uneasy when he tells a lie. Now, in order for this woman to give birth to Non-Naive Daughter, basically a daughter who knows by instinct and not by being told that a trembling voice is a sign of insincerity, we have 2 ways:
1. Classical natural selection way - the Naive Mother just breeds multiple daughters, maybe a genetic accident happens, maybe not.. kinda slow and random. The knowledge would have to be transmitted verbally.
2. The info gets encoded in the genes and daughter knows, much faster.

Now the Non-Naive Daughter can easily and efficiently outsmart the Liar Son, optimizing the game in her interest.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamarckism

 

[Mr. Ponzi]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamarckism

Ah! Thanks, man. Here I was thinking I was on to a ground breaking discovery.