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Quote by Richard Levins

“When questions arise of possible harmful effects of pesticides, the defenders of the products always try to narrow the scope of the inquiry to their most immediate, direct and measurable consequences and then downplay them, The critics of pesticides, on the other hand, urge that the ecosystem is strongly interconnected, highly variable and vulnerable. Thus debates around environmental impact become debates on the philosophy of nature: are things readily isolated or richly interacting? Is the average behavior of chemicals and organisms an adequate basis for decision making or must we be concerned with the unevenness of the world? Shall we "be realists" and stick to measurable costs and benefits, or shall we concern ourselves with all kinds of consequences of what we do? Gradually we see a confrontation of the world views of mechanistic reductionism and of dialectical materialism.”

Book:The Dialectical Biologist

Work

The Dialectical Biologist

This book delves into the intersection of biology and dialectical philosophy, offering an analysis of biological phenomena from a unique perspective. more

Author

Richard Levins

Richard Levins (June 1, 1930 - January 19, 2016) was an accomplished biologist, ecologist, and mathematician. Known for his research in ecology, evolutionary theory, and epidemiology, Levins made significant contributions to the development of theoretical ecology. His work, particularly in the areas of population dynamics, evolutionary stability, and disease transmission models, has had a profound impact on the field. Levins' theories and methods continue to be widely used in ecology, epidemiology, and environmental protection, leaving a lasting legacy in modern ecological and biodiversity research. more

“The need of theory is supported by the eros of the philosopher. It is not the expression of his will to conquer nature. Therefore, the joys of contemplation are "immediate enjoyments," joys that belong intrinsically to contemplation, and they come without further setting of goals or justification to the one receptive to them. They are not tied to social use, neither dependent upon the opinion of others nor gained from the expectation of future glory. The love for the observation of nature, for the observation of the details of the structure in which nature becomes comprehensible, of the order in which nature is articulated, of the spectacle nature provides for one who takes an interest in its objects, who lets its forms, colors, and sounds affect him, this love accords with the love of oneself. Both discourage highfalutin plans to change the world by the transformation of nature. Both impose moderation on the philosopher. He will be especially adequate to his desire to "contribute" something "to this beautiful system" by his conceiving it as a "system" and as "beautiful." The contribution most his own is that he has the whole in view; that he sees things and beings within the horizon of the whole, that he investigates and orders them as parts, that he knows himself as a part and reflects on his relation to the whole or that he poses the question of the whole. But if he wants to keep the question of the whole in view, he may not lose himself. To conceive the "beautiful system," he must devote himself to it in detail and again return to himself. To be able to observe nature, he may not blend into it. Observation requires both proximity and distance.”

Whole Nature Beauty Distance System Proximity Systems Biology

Book:On the Happiness of the Philosophic Life: Reflections on Rousseau's "Rêveries" in Two Books

Source: On the Happiness of the Philosophic Life: Reflections on Rousseau's "Rêveries" in Two Books

“An important attribute of metabolites is their close relationship to both the biological states of interest (i.e. disease status) and relevant genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic variants causally related to the disease state. As such, metabo-profiles can be viewed as an intermediate measure that links pre-disposing genes and environmental exposures to a resulting disease state. Causal metabolites also typically have a stronger relationship (i.e. larger effect size) to the underlying genetics and the disease phenotype. Thus, the integration of metabolomic data into systems biology approaches may provide a missing link between genes and disease states.”

Network Medicine Metabolomics

Book:Network Medicine: Complex Systems in Human Disease and Therapeutics

Source: Network Medicine: Complex Systems in Human Disease and Therapeutics

“Raul Fernandez-Crespo MD - Specializes In Urology Raul Fernandez-Crespo MD specializes in urology, and in 2007 he attended the Penn State College of Medicine STEP UP Program. His research at the University of Puerto Rico was centered on topics including robotic assisted radical prostatectomy in obese patients. Dr. Fernandez-Crespo received the General Surgery Award from the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, and in 2013, he graduated from Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences with his MD.”

Raulfernandezcrespomd

Author:Raul Fernandez-Crespo MD

“Regardless of the delivery method, your Higher Mind will leave you a trail of popcorn. It's been happening all along, even if you've been unaware, trampling it underfoot. It may only be one kernel at a time, but that's all you really need.”