Richard Dawkin’s book "The Selfish Gene" tells how genes act as if in their own selfish interest. Dawkins does not mean to say genes have consciousness and think in a selfish way. Dawkins means that we can understand the actions of genes if we pretend we are genes and ask ourselves “if I were a gene, how would I act if I were interested in spreading my genes as far and wide as possible?”
Some have asked Dawkins how he can get up in the morning with a view of life so empty and purposeless.
I would suggest that the same facts can be viewed from a much more life affirming and positive view. I propose “Creative Genes and Loving Cells.” I too am not saying that genes and cells have consciousness like we humans. I suggest we pretend we were the first genes in the first cells – what might we have said to each other? "Wow – this world is really desolate! There are no other living things – there is no oxygen – we are going to have to struggle mightily to survive. Let us go out and experiment, let us mix up our genes and come up with new combinations and see which best survives. Let us make cells that take really good care of themselves.”
And that is what our ancestors did. For 600 million years our ancestors lived as individual cells – and then they tried something new. They tried living in groups - and they found living in groups helped them survive. Our ancestors learned to make cells that took better and better care of each other – until miraculously – here we are today.
What is a miracle? A miracle is an even of extremely low probability. A miracle is an event of such low probability that many feel they are the work of God. What is the probability of 100 trillion atoms organizing themselves into one of your cells? That is an even of extremely low probability. What is the probability of 10 trillion of these cells organizing themselves into you? That is an event of extremely low probability. Yet here you are – a miracle.
How did your genes make this miracle possible? They must have been extremely creative, and experiment with lots and lots of possibilities. How is it that your 10 trillion cells can survive? They take extremely good care of one another.
What words might we use to describe how cells care for each other? Cells cannot speak, so men must come up with words to describe their behavior.
When we think about a mother, how do we know she loves her baby? She takes care of her baby. She feeds her baby. She protects her baby. She keeps her baby warm. These actions allow us to know she loves her baby.
Cells cannot talk, but we can watch what cells do. The cells lining your intestines take in food, feeding all your cells. Your skin cells and you white blood cells protect all your cells. The activity of your cells keeps all your cells warm and just the right temperature for the chemical reactions that occur in your cells. Can we say that your cells take care of each other like a mother takes care of her baby? Can we say cells love each other? Could we even say that cells "love thy neighbor as thyself".
Your cells take very good care of each other. Are there any similarities between the actions of cells in your body, and the actions of people in our society?
Millions of years ago cells began to live in groups. When the groups got large, the cells needed a way to get food and water around, and the groups of cells formed arteries and veins. When people began to live in larger and larger groups, they needed to get food around, and they began making roads.
As the groups of cells got larger, they had trouble with their toxic wastes like urea. Genes experimented and some made kidneys that cleaned the blood of urea, and the animals with kidneys survived.
As people lived in larger groups, they needed a way to dispose of their wastes, and they invented water treatment plants to clean up their wastes.
As the groups of cells got larger, they needed a way to communicate. Their genes experimented and came up with nerves. With nerves, cells could communicate with each other, and they learned to swim and to walk.
As groups of people got larger, they needed a way to communicate. People started communicating with smoke signals, and eventually figured out telephones and telephone lines.
As groups of cells got larger, they needed a way to set priorities. Should I stay and eat this grass? Or should I run from that tiger? Some genes experimented and came up with brains, and the brains helped them decide to eat the grass or run from the tiger.
As groups of people got larger, they needed a way to set priorities. Should we pool our money and spend it on growing corn? Or should we pool our money and spend it on guns to protect us from the robbers who want our corn? People figured out Congress.
Our cells are amazing. They have grown so that within every healthy person each cell is safe and has enough to food and oxygen. Will our societies grow and become healthier until one day every person in a healthy society will be safe and have enough clean food and water?
Could this view be taught in science class? What thoughts might help students be happier and feel better about the week to come?
Robert Emmons in his Gratitude Highlights has found a gratitude journal helps students be happier.
Might thoughts of their creative genes and loving cells help them be thankful for what they have - and help inspire them to care for themselves and others as well as their cells care for themselves and each other?
