Comments on: Topical depression http://genomeboy.com/2008/01/09/topical-depression/ Thu, 17 May 2012 21:28:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: misha http://genomeboy.com/2008/01/09/topical-depression/#comment-719 misha Wed, 09 Jan 2008 17:08:45 +0000 http://genomeboy.com/2008/01/09/topical-depression/#comment-719 Well, if my genome is my "be-all," as you say, then I really do have problems. Perhaps the biggest problem would be that that view would make me a genetic determinist, something I don't think any self-respecting biologist can be. Genes are tremendously important, but I would like to believe that my environment and my ability to transcend my genome come into play. And I think there are plenty of data to back me up on this point--we are more than the sum of our nucleic acid programming. But even if I do turn out to be just another of Richard Dawkins's lumbering robots whose only purpose on this earth is to propagate his DNA, I still find life to be more fun and more meaningful if I don't wake up everyday thinking of it in those terms. Thanks for the comment, SciPhu. Well, if my genome is my “be-all,” as you say, then I really do have problems. Perhaps the biggest problem would be that that view would make me a genetic determinist, something I don’t think any self-respecting biologist can be.

Genes are tremendously important, but I would like to believe that my environment and my ability to transcend my genome come into play. And I think there are plenty of data to back me up on this point–we are more than the sum of our nucleic acid programming. But even if I do turn out to be just another of Richard Dawkins’s lumbering robots whose only purpose on this earth is to propagate his DNA, I still find life to be more fun and more meaningful if I don’t wake up everyday thinking of it in those terms.

Thanks for the comment, SciPhu.

]]> By: Sciphu http://genomeboy.com/2008/01/09/topical-depression/#comment-718 Sciphu Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:30:50 +0000 http://genomeboy.com/2008/01/09/topical-depression/#comment-718 "“Maybe I will feel differently in a month or a year, but for right now my genome is the least of my problems"" Although one could argue that since your genome is your be-all then your genome is your only problem, alternatively that you have no problems (more on http://sciphu.wordpress.com/). ““Maybe I will feel differently in a month or a year, but for right now my genome is the least of my problems”"
Although one could argue that since your genome is your be-all then your genome is your only problem, alternatively that you have no problems (more on http://sciphu.wordpress.com/).

]]> By: Ethical obviousness « Sciphu’s Weblog http://genomeboy.com/2008/01/09/topical-depression/#comment-717 Ethical obviousness « Sciphu’s Weblog Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:27:34 +0000 http://genomeboy.com/2008/01/09/topical-depression/#comment-717 [...] I’m not. And to emphasize this, here’s a quote that I sympathize with, from this post at genomeboy: “When people ask me whether I’m nervous about getting my DNA sequenced, my [...] […] I’m not. And to emphasize this, here’s a quote that I sympathize with, from this post at genomeboy: “When people ask me whether I’m nervous about getting my DNA sequenced, my […]

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