Shapeshifters symposium
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Key Takeaways
- The Shapeshifters Symposium explored plasticity across various domains, featuring my talk on intentionality in organisms.
- I highlighted the importance of understanding the ‘why’ behind behaviour, which is often difficult to measure in scientific studies.
- While science focuses on measurable events, grasping motivations in living systems requires a deeper situational logic.
- Chimpanzees serve as an example of intentional behaviour, using tools and learning from others, showcasing their understanding.
It was a great pleasure to give a talk and participate in the Shapeshifters Symposium, Plasticity Here, There, and Everywhere, in Amsterdam at the end of May.
The Shapeshifters Symposium was a transdisciplinary two-day event that explored the concept of plasticity across academic domains and beyond.
My talk at the Shapeshifters symposium emphasised that organisms act purposefully and with intention. Stochasticity, or random variability, is harnessed by embedded systems, from the cell to social and ecological arrangements, to make creative decisions. Science has tended to focus on measurable material events, such as what, when, where and how, but has found the crucial question “why?” difficult. Yet “why” matters for understanding living systems. Genes cannot tell us why. We need to understand organisms’ situational logic and motivation.
“Why” is difficult to measure but vital to understanding behaviour
Scientists often find it challenging to understand the ‘why’ behind intentional behavior because it is difficult to measure. Since science relies on measurement, explaining why something happens can be complex. For example, we easily understand why a bridge might collapse—due to weakened supports and a heavy load—which are measurable factors. However, the bridge didn’t intend to collapse. Clearly, events occur for reasons, but this isn’t the ‘why’ that many biologists struggle with. In contrast, chimpanzees intentionally use stones to crack nuts. Moreover, they learn from others, know they are performing these actions, and share this knowledge with their peers.
We look forward to further collaborations.
“We are not in our genes; our genes are in us.”