[HPforGrownups] Magic as a Virus?

[Janette]

No: HPFGUIDX 168100

Bart wrote:
>
> > Why need it be a virus?  Why not an evolutionary trait, such as music
> for
> > example?  Some people are born natural musicians, some have an ability
> but
> > need to be trained, and others are tone deaf.  The same with artists,
> poets,
> > and other seemingly unnecessary human traits which nevertheless are
> > essential to the human condition.
>
>        Because those traits are not closely connected to genes. Magic is.
> And
> it doesn't follow normal genetics:


montims:
and yet they may be -
One possible alternative approach is *comparative genomics*. Even just
assuming that music is uniquely human and that it serves some biological
purpose for which it has been selected for, we can deduce that there will
exist regions in the human genome which "encode" for music, and the genes or
genetic variation in these regions will be unique to humans, and different
even when compared to the genomes of our closest relatives (the chimpanzees
and other apes). Neither of these assumptions can be made with any degree of
certainty, but the strength of the human desire for music does argue in
favour of some there being a musical *instinct*, and non-human animals show
little sign of behaviour determined by any similar kind of instinct.
and
The FOXP2 gene is particularly interesting because it appears related to the
development of speech in the human species. This has a bearing on music:
I've already mentioned that music is a candidate for accelerated evolution
just on the assumption that it is a unique human capacity which relates to
some (possibly unknown) biological function, but given that music appears to
be related in some way to speech, if there are regions of accelerated
evolution related to speech, then we have even more reason to expect that
there might be regions of accelerated evolution related to music.In the
fullness of time, all human genes will be identified with the human
characteristics that they encode for and which have been selected for
accordingly by natural selection. And no doubt "musical genes" will be
discovered which account for our response to music.
http://www.1729.com/blog/MusicalGenomics.html

So maybe magic is another evolutionary development...  But ah - this is a
fictional world we're discussing, so I concede your virus theory!


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