Re: Molecular recognition & other themes

Dear colleagues,

Many thanks to Andrei and Shu-Kun for their fascinating messages on
molecular recognition. It is a happy coincidence that a bunch of fisers are
developing ideas on the different aspects of molecular recognition.

For instance, Rafael Lahoz (see his paper) has been working with Hameroff's
group on cytoskeleton computation by quantum coherence. Garc�a Olivares (he
contributes too) has improved my initial molecular-automata kinetic model
with a very sophisticate mathematical apparatus, and I am myself exploring
the whole eukariotic evolution of signaling systems (scaffolds,
signalosomes, protein-kinases chains) and most of the advanced uses of
proteolitic machinery as based on molecular recognition. The fantastic
economy on recognition items (seemingly, N Coulombian elements may be used
within an efficency scheme of N exp 2 thanks to the quantum processes
explained by Andrei) was almost an absolute necessity for the evolution of
nervous systems and as a molecular background of human symbolic
communication. We have to remember in that regard the very pioneeering
insights of Michael Conrad too: his 'tactilizing processing' as a basic
tool of intraneuronal processing systems and eukaryotic 'evolvability'.
Also, the chair of our coming batch of papers, Peter �rdi, has done a great
job on the formal analysis of nonlinarities in kinetic systems. And around
Ray Paton and Koichiro Matsuno there are seminal work on progress about
simulations and experiences of biomolecular computation...

In sum, that at fis we could envision a fascinating synthesis of the
quantum-molecular
statistics-kinetic-dynamic-computational-structural-evolutionary aspects of
molecular recognition. At least I am not aware of much 'integrative' work
done on the whole molecular recognition theme--but sure that some parties
have already been advancing the synthesis (any further info is very
welcome!). Thus I wonder whether it could make any sense at all for any
financing bodies, supporting us for at last a small retreat about this
applied subject.

About the other discussion lines currently open, I rely on Ted's excellent
synopsis. Quite probably, a mature info science will be able to produce
very original ideas about those informational things (are they things?)
called 'enterprises' or 'firms'. The ecological niche becomes too difficult
for an info scheme, although i agree in the necessity and importance of the
ecological view (the final target of bioinfo adaptions: survival in the
niche).

Finally, Karl' s views on info are for me... tautological. Greatly
tautological, let me add (remember for instance 'survival of the fitest'):
because his tautology is accompanied directly by a new approach to set
theory founded upon a new number theory. The basic tool, multidimensional
partitions, largely unexplored, might be a mine of scientific ideas.
Morris' message & paper, and my own one, contain some of the simplest items
we have been exploring here in Zaragoza during these recent years (Jos�
Pastor, now retired, did a great computational job about the theme too). In
spite of some small disagreements and the usual (complete) lack of funding,
and the lack of time, we have been happy in the collaboration with Karl.
Some of Karl's papers (almost all his work is unpublished yet) are going to
appear in our home fis web-pages right now. It will help to advance the
discussion on a firmer basis, I believe. Because going ahead will get very
difficult, as we have experienced here...

It would be very long, but a connection could be made along the above lines
with the symmetry theme, the conditions for 'natural law' (as said, I can
only agree partially with James very cogent realism), the observer 'limited
prehension' and the perspectivistic consequences... Perhaps I will attempt
that connection with the remaining 50% of my weekly discussion capital

best wishes to all,

Pedro

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Pedro C. Mariju�n
Fundaci�n CIRCE
CPS Univ. Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
TEL. (34) 976 762036-761863, FAX (34) 976 732078
email: marijuan@posta.unizar.es
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Received on Tue May 28 15:17:05 2002