From: me22over7@gmail.com   
      
   On 7/01/2026 11:16 pm, jillery wrote:   
   > On Wed, 7 Jan 2026 01:13:42 +1100, MarkE  wrote:   
   >   
   >> I've recently claimed here that the 80 megabytes of information in the   
   >> functional portion of the human genome is wildly insufficient to specify   
   >> the development of a human [1] into the system that is us [2]. I've   
   >> suggested that the "missing" information must be located in the ovum's   
   >> cytoplasm, organelles and membrane.   
   >>   
   >> I've directly asked a number of contributors here if they believe 80 MB   
   >> is sufficient to specify a human. This has generally been met with   
   >> silence. I can understand why, after an even cursory consideration of   
   >> [1] and [2]. Moreover, the implications of this for evolutionary theory   
   >> and biology are profound.   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > That silence is the sound of one hand clapping, as all wait for you to   
   > say on what basis you think 80 MB is *insufficient* to specify a   
   > human.   
      
   Do you think 80 MB is sufficient to specify [1] and [2]?   
      
   >   
   >   
   >> Anyway, it seems that ID agrees with me. This may not help convince you,   
   >> but I'm encouraged that others think this is an issue that needs attention.   
   >>   
   >> If you're unfamiliar, what you may find interesting is ID's proposed   
   >> solution: an "immaterial genome", with reference to Neoplatonism.   
   >>   
   >> I'm not discounting that position, but do find it surprising! Would this   
   >> be a new creationist category, something like Continuous Creation? Some   
   >> may have less complimentary suggestions.   
   >>   
   >> Anyway, enjoy (Ron, you may need medical attention after reading these):   
   >>   
   >> https://scienceandculture.com/2025/05/the-immaterial-genome-r   
   chard-sternbergs-labor-of-love/   
   >>   
   >> https://scienceandculture.com/2025/04/the-math-behind-the-immaterial-genome/   
   >>   
   >>   
   >> ______________   
   >>   
   >>   
   >> [1] FROM ONE CELL TO A HUMAN BEING: AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS AND ITS   
   >> MYSTERIES   
   >>   
   >> *Fertilisation* begins when a sperm and ovum fuse to form a single cell:   
   >> the *zygote*. In that moment, a new, genetically unique human organism   
   >> exists. Yet nothing visible distinguishes this cell from countless   
   >> others. What follows is one of the most extraordinary processes known in   
   >> nature.   
   >>   
   >> ---   
   >>   
   >> ## 1. Exponential division without growth: cleavage   
   >>   
   >> Within hours, the zygote begins dividing: 1 cell becomes 2, then 4, 8,   
   >> 16, and so on. These early divisions, called *cleavage*, are remarkable   
   >> because the total size of the embryo does not increase. Instead, the   
   >> original cytoplasm is partitioned into ever-smaller cells.   
   >>   
   >> Key features:   
   >>   
   >> * Division is rapid and tightly synchronized.   
   >> * Cells remain enclosed in the original outer membrane.   
   >> * The embryo reaches ~100 cells in a few days.   
   >>   
   >> *What is striking:*   
   >> All cells initially appear equivalent, yet they are already on   
   >> trajectories that will lead to radically different fates.   
   >>   
   >> *What we do not fully understand:*   
   >> How early asymmetries—subtle differences in molecular concentrations,   
   >> mechanics, and timing—bias later cell fate decisions with such   
   reliability.   
   >>   
   >> ---   
   >>   
   >> ## 2. Self-organisation and implantation: the blastocyst   
   >>   
   >> After several days, the embryo reorganises into a *blastocyst*—a hollow   
   >> structure with:   
   >>   
   >> * an *inner cell mass* (which will become the body),   
   >> * and an *outer layer* (which will help form the placenta).   
   >>   
   >> The blastocyst implants into the uterine wall, establishing a   
   >> biochemical dialogue with the mother that allows pregnancy to continue.   
   >>   
   >> *What is striking:*   
   >> This organisation emerges without a central controller. Cells “decide”   
   >> their roles through local interactions, gene regulation, and physical   
   >> constraints.   
   >>   
   >> *What we do not fully understand:*   
   >> How global structure arises so robustly from local rules, and why   
   >> implantation succeeds or fails so often despite apparently normal embryos.   
   >>   
   >> ---   
   >>   
   >> ## 3. The body plan appears: gastrulation   
   >>   
   >> Around the third week, the embryo undergoes *gastrulation*, often called   
   >> *the most important event in your life*. A simple sheet of cells folds   
   >> and rearranges to form three foundational layers:   
   >>   
   >> * *Ectoderm* ? nervous system, skin   
   >> * *Mesoderm* ? muscle, bone, blood, heart   
   >> * *Endoderm* ? gut, liver, lungs   
   >>   
   >>  From this point onward, the basic body axes—head to tail, back to   
   >> front, left to right—are established.   
   >>   
   >> *What is striking:*   
   >> A consistent human body plan emerges from dramatic cellular movements   
   >> that look, under a microscope, almost chaotic.   
   >>   
   >> *What we do not fully understand:*   
   >> How genetic instructions, chemical gradients, and mechanical forces are   
   >> integrated in real time to yield precise, repeatable anatomy.   
   >>   
   >> ---   
   >>   
   >> ## 4. Differentiation and organ formation: organogenesis   
   >>   
   >> Cells now differentiate into hundreds of specialised types and assemble   
   >> into organs. Neural cells wire themselves into circuits. Blood vessels   
   >> branch through tissues. The heart begins beating while still forming.   
   >>   
   >> Cell numbers increase exponentially, eventually reaching *tens of   
   >> trillions*, yet:   
   >>   
   >> * proportions are maintained,   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)