On homeostasis

July 39 2000,   SA and Dov,  on  homeostasis.

 
SA: The sand on the beach reflects the footprint = the foot leaves an impression in the sand.   This is a very basic level of the phenomenon.  Going higher in complexity, the Starling's law says that the strengths of the heartbeat increases with increased cardiac filling.  Thus, an increased cardiac pressure makes an impression in the mode in which the heart works.  Increased heart work is a reflection of  the increased load. We call such a reflection homeostasis.
 
Dov:  It is homeostatic since the system returns to a  state of equilibrium. It does not reach a NEW DIFFERENT state of equilibrium.
 
SA: Agreed. 
Another example would be the changes in the immune system stimulated by an infection.  The infection makes an impression in the immune system.  Immune response is no more than a complex reflection of the infection.  This is even higher level of reflection.
 
Dov: Would'nt a repeat infection be a homeostatic occurence whereas a NEW infection would be something "higher", elevation to a new more complex homeostatic state ?
 
SA: Yes, it would.
On the highest level of reflection known to us, intelligence, I reflect on Dov's ideas (manuscript) about DNA communities.  The manuscript leaves an impression in my mind.  Now, is there a sharp boundary between the footprint in the sand and my intelligent perception of the ideas? 
 
Dov: Per my thinking the common thing to both is THE MECHANISM of impression, and for the Starling's Law + Immune Response their MECHANISMS of  reflection are the same as your and my reflections on things.
 
SA: Aha, the mechanism, but not the phenomenon as a whole, right?
Can there be objective criteria developed? What do you think?
 
Dov:   I think that the presence/existence of intelligence of EACH AND EVERY organism regardless of its complexity, beyond homeostasis, is revealed in the persistent and continuous establishment(s) of new, different, homeostatic complexes. This is an inherent feature of life that sets it different from "just homeostatic systems".
 
SA: Again, see Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's writings. He said a similar thing long time ago, if I am not mistaken.
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