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Welcome to The Thin End – Raymond Noble’s commentary on nature, science, society, and the human condition.
For informative articles and podcasts on biology, evolution, society, health, wellbeing, and politics.
- Opportunity knocks in the evolution of mammalian hearing
A classic view sees evolution as the result of passive, random mutation and selection acting on genes. In this article, we see evolution as a dynamic, opportunistic process driven by the continual need and drive to adapt in an ever-changing ecosystem. Life is opportunistic in niche development. Changes in any aspect of function create opportunities - A multilateral view of living systems
In our book, *Understanding Living Systems*, we emphasised that living systems organise functionality in nested ways. Causation flows in many directions, shaped by functional boundaries ranging from cells to ecosystems, as well as by social and interspecies relationships. It operates both within and across every level. This perspective moves beyond the gene-centric model, which presents - Case Studies in Ecological Intelligence: Nature’s Problem Solvers
Understanding Ecological Intelligence Ecological Intelligence and Niche Creation In a previous article, we defined ecological intelligence as the signs of meaning and purpose that organisms create and interpret. To further illustrate ecological intelligence in action, we’ll explore several case studies; ecological intelligence has both material and immaterial dimensions. The material dimension includes habitat change—what changes, - The Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Human Survival
Understanding Indigenous Knowledge In our book, *Understanding Living Systems*, we discuss ecological intelligence extensively. In short, ecological intelligence refers to the knowledge and understanding organisms develop and use as they actively engage with their habitats. These interactions embed this intelligence in local environments and ways of life. Moreover, organisms pass much of it from one - Sensory receptive fields and synaptic contacts
In this semi-biographical piece, Raymond Noble revisits the work he produced for his Doctorate at the Royal Veterinary School, University of Edinburgh, in the late 1970s. He presents a scientific research article from The Journal of Physiology (1982) titled “Connexions between hair follicle afferent fibres and spinocervical tract neurones in the cat: the synthesis of receptive fields” by A.
Professor Raymond Noble is a chartered biologist and Royal Society of Biology Fellow. He has written extensively on biological theory and philosophy and is an author with his brother, Denis Noble, of the acclaimed book Understanding Living Systems, published by Cambridge University Press (2023). He was Deputy Dean of Life Sciences at UCL, London, and the Graduate Tutor in Women’s Health, where he is now an Honorary Professor.
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