"John Edser"  wrote in message
>
> M:-
> Maybe you'd expand on this. Are you saying that rb and c are apples > and
oranges and not measured in the same units?
>
> JE:-
> I posted the mathematics a while ago.
> I am happy to repost it if you wish.
>
> Yes, I am saying that rb cannot be compared
> to c unless a constant that suggests how
> many single gene rb units of kin fitness =
> c units of Darwinian (organism) fitness.
>
The only currency in evolution is surviving copies of genes. For practical
purposes we can use "number of grandchildren" as a reasonable
approximation,
however even this is very difficult to measure experimentally.
For Hamilton's rule to apply, transferring a resource must give the
recipient 1/r times as many offspring as retaining it. However this is
generally not an easy thing to measure. It is unusual that a lump of meat is
worth 300 calories to me but 600 to my sister. However if my sister is near
starvation then 300 calories might be much more valuable to her than an
extra layer of fat is to me.
>
> > JE:-
> > It seems to me that the monopolistic non competitive nature of
> > today's scientific establishment is grossly slowing down its evolution.
>
> M:-
> The problem is that we no longer have a class of leisured gentlemen
> with the time and money to pursue serious amateur science. It is also a
> problem in the arts.
>
> JE:-
> In my view the scientific establishment must be
> entirely privatised so that competition for
> new and better ideas is increased and politics
> does NOT dominate science.
>
You've complained about politics dominating Dawkin's and Hamilton's science,
however this is transparently influenced by modish political thought. If
you've ever worked in a largish company you will know how much stupidity
goes on, and how inefficient things generally are. national politics may not
intervene, but internal company politics are just as damaging.
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