InfectiousThoughts: Discovering Biology as a Social Science

Abstract

Two starting points of this dialogue, which is really unique in the history of science, are the basic knowledge on language and communication from an action theoretical perspective and on the other point, basic knowledge of virology and all the detailed interactional motifs of viruses on RNA networks, subviral agents and cellular organisms that constitute this communicative interaction within a dialogue between 2006 and 2020.

Cells must coordinate their behavior within and with other cells, being single cells or multicellular organisms, by signaling molecules, i.e. sign-mediated interactions. This is what we define „communication.“ Additionally it was clear that the genetic code is a real natural code. Empirical knowledge indicates that no natural code codes itself as no natural language speaks itself. In all cases such codes need competent code using agents of natural real lifeworld. What then are these agents, how do they generate sign sequences, combine and recombine, edit, re-edit and care for de novo generation of such sequences?

The current dialogue assembles our thoughts, speculations, inspirations of how to think on code generating and code editing agents on the genetic and subgenetic level not strictly in the terms of physics and chemistry but in terms of biology as a social science. The result are preliminary remarks to a sociology of viruses and a RNA sociology.

The lineup of our dialogue is not always coherent; is sometimes redundant with typical ‘real life’ errors, has some breaks with many answers as questions are seemingly not related. But the whole documentary is coherent and gives a good overview how to reach a complete new and integrated understanding of the genetic code and its editors, i.e., viruses, their relatives and subviral RNA networks.

We dedicate this book to young minds and the next generations of the 21st century.