In BEEM, author and engineer Raju Pookottil boldly diverges from the Darwinian theory of natural selection and offers a thought provoking counter-hypothesis for the evolution of all living organisms. He proposes that every species, be it single cells, plants or animals, are equipped with the fundamental mechanisms that allows them to generate intelligent and logical decisions that they could then utilize in directing their own evolution. Whereas natural selection depends on random mutations followed by selection, Pookottil argues that species are capable of deciding how to logically construct themselves to near perfection over many generations, making modifications to their own genes where necessary.
The principles of emergence, swarm intelligence and signal networks, which he proposes are available to all living organisms, could in fact be the real forces that cleverly and logically drive the evolution of every species on earth. Our brains work by exploiting these very same principles. It is proposed that the complex signal networks that exist between the millions of protein molecules in a cell, or the billions of cells that make up larger organisms, are also capable of generating intelligent solutions, albeit at a slower pace.
The hypothesis also argues that species are in control of their own genomes and that they are able to engineer their genetic codes where necessary in order to incorporate ‘design modifications’. Thus, species meaningfully assess their environment, create ingenious solutions, and crucially, pass them on to subsequent generations. Using observable examples, BEEM builds up a strong case supporting these arguments.
Review:
The Biologist (Society of Biology): April/May 2014 : Vol 61 No 2 / 49
“If the central idea of this book turns out to be correct, the author could be looking at a Nobel Prize. In short, he suggests that natural selection may not be the main mechanism of evolution.
While the lay literature abounds with outlandish assertions usually categorised as pseudo-science, this book is rather different. Raju Pookottil is not a biologist, having qualified as an engineer, but is remarkably well read in biology.”
by Les Rose CBiol FSB
Click to read the full review in The Biologist (April-May 2014):
