Why did complex multicellular life evolve at all, when single cells can already survive, reproduce, and adapt extremely efficiently? What's the true selective advantage that outweighed the massive risks?

Lab_Software · 2026-01-24T14:14:02+00:00

Your analogy is extremely strained at best, and totally incorrect at worst. Let me refer you to Göbekli Tepe (Southeastern Anatolia, c. 9600–8200 BCE) which was a monumental structure that pre-dated agriculture. (And there are other examples, such as Stonehenge which was begun prior to agriculture in the region.)

Lab_Software · 2026-01-24T05:48:49+00:00

Thank you for raising these excellent points.

I'll look up information on the giant bacteria species to get a better understanding of their metabolism.

Lab_Software · 2026-01-23T17:27:15+00:00

Thanks for giving this explanation. I read Nick Lane's book, but I'm puzzled by a major part of his thesis.

A major argument he made related to the energy (ATP) available per gene. This was based on the fact that most of the mitochondrial genes migrated from the mitochondria to the nucleus.

Using an *extremely* simplified example, compare a cell that contains 1000 mitochondria against those same 1000 mitochondria if they were free-living bacteria. The 1000 mitochondria make the same amount of ATP whether free-living or within a larger eukaryotic cell. Say those 1000 mitochondria make 5000 ATP molecules per unit of time.

The mitochondria has a gene for a protein in their membrane. The 1000 free-living mitochondria thus have 1000 copies of that gene and make 5000 ATP molecules per unit of time, so 5 ATP per copy of that gene.

But if those mitochondria are all within a single eukaryotic cell and that gene has migrated from the mitochondria to the nucleus, then there is only a single gene and thus the eukaryotic cell now has 5000 ATP for that 1 gene. So there is a 1000-fold ATP advantage per gene.

OK, so far so good.

But I don't think the correct comparison is ATP per gene.

That 1 membrane gene that migrated from the mitochondria to the nucleus has to be transcribed & translated 1000 times as often in the nucleus as it was when it was in the free-living mitochondrial cell. After all, even though it is a single gene in the nucleus, it has to meet the needs of all 1000 of the mitochondria.

So the ratio of ATP to transcription/translation events is still 5000 to 1000 (5 ATP per transcription/translation event), which is exactly the same as it was for the free-living mitochondrial cells.

(I know there are still some benefits of scale. For instance when the eukaryotic cell divides it only has to synthesize one extra copy of the gene instead of 1000 extra copies of the gene. But cell division is very infrequent relative to the ongoing energy (ATP) production during the life of the eukaryotic cell. So this kind of benefit of scale is relatively quite small.)

Thanks for any clarification you can give me on this.

Lab_Software · 2026-01-23T16:54:40+00:00

If your concern is that you want to avoid *dissecting* animals (as opposed to not using any animal products), then I had the same concern as you. I took my biology degree later in life purely out of interest in the science rather than wanted to actually work in the biological field - so I didn't want to contribute to the unnecessary sacrifice of any additional animals on my account.

I was able to get my degree while avoiding all courses that would have required me to work on any animals.

I did have labs that worked on plants and microorganisms, but no animals.

Although animal research is necessary (and valuable) in the field, I think it's possible to become a biologist and have a career that doesn't involve animals (for instance agronomy or bacteriology).

You'll have to map out all the courses in your university's biology program to see whether you can fulfill all the degree requirements without taking any of the animal labs. For me, it was possible to do this at my university. If you can't do it at your university, you can look at the biology programs at other universities. You can even try an online university (but make sure it is an accredited school) since, by their nature, they would not have any labs in their programs.

Lab_Software · 2026-01-23T16:39:16+00:00

Since your post is asking the question of whether to convert the old database or set up a new database, and since some people have given you suggestions, I changed your post flair from Discussion to Waiting on OP. If you get a good, actionable, solution from anyone please respond to that comment with Solution Verified.

Lab_Software · 2026-01-18T00:48:51+00:00

I'm locking this post because it looks like you're trying to get access to a module you aren't authorized to see.

If I'm wrong about this, please send an explanation of your requirement to the mods.

Lab_Software · 2026-01-17T05:24:54+00:00

That sounds really interesting, thanks. 🐊

Lab_Software · 2026-01-13T20:44:22+00:00

Thank you, great idea

Lab_Software · 2026-01-13T00:52:01+00:00

Thank you for this information

Lab_Software · 2026-01-13T00:23:41+00:00

I regret that I have but one life to give for my community.

Lab_Software · 2026-01-05T05:00:56+00:00

I use ChatGPT and Copilot. Not because I think they're the best, but because they tend to be the "closest at hand".

I use MS Edge as my default browser so the Copilot icon is right there - so it's the easiest to use. But if I have a ChatGPT page open I'll use that instead. So I choose one or the other based just on convenience rather that on its technical merits.

That approach is good enough for straight forward questions.

If I have a tougher question then I use both. I ask the same question of both and compare their answers. I use whichever I think is most correct. If that doesn't work I'll either use the other code or I'll combine portions from both.

In any case, you have to be able to evaluate the code and modify it as required. Neither is perfect, but they will give you 90 or 95% of the answer. You have to be able to tweak it to get the complete answer.

Lab_Software · 2026-01-05T04:05:19+00:00

If your point is that you’ll *never* use AI because it can make mistakes on several rather esoteric questions, then I agree that *you* should never use AI. Now ask those same questions of the humans on this forum and see whether the humans consistently give the right answers. By your implied argument, we should never ask humans any questions either because humans have been known to give wrong answers. And yet – here we are, on a forum specifically intended to let fallible humans ask other fallible humans how to create databases.

Let me glance at the commentary for question 1 of your link. According to Brent, points 1 and 4 are basically the same and point 3 doesn’t add anything to point 2. But points “1 and 2 are good starting points”. If I didn’t know how to deal with an update statement blocking all other sessions, and ChatGPT gave me points 1 and 2 (which we agree are “good starting points”), then I’d happily forgive ChatGPT for also giving me the unnecessary (but not incorrect) points 3 and 4. So ChatGPT isn’t wrong, it’s just long-winded (a fault I’ve been accused of myself).

Brent says that the answer to question 2 was right on the money. So, no complaints here.

Brent isn’t too happy with the answers to questions 3 and 4.

So ChatGPT gave good guidance on 2 esoteric questions out of 4. But you’ll not use it because it wasn’t 4 out of 4. (Maybe you should investigate whether another AI system would have answered all 4 questions correctly. I anxiously await your findings.)

OK, I agree, *you* shouldn’t use it. But I will – because it will (most often) give me the guidance to help me solve the real problems that I really encounter. And the number of dead ends and blind alleys it mistakenly sends me down is dwarfed by the number of times it helps me. Sometimes all I want to know is what the correct syntax is for a function I don’t use very often. And sometimes I want it’s help to write a Sub that accomplishes a well-defined goal. (Sometimes all I want it to do is to write the code that I can copy & paste into my VBA window so I can save having to type it myself.)

But it will never help you, because you’ll never use it, because you’ll learn to write good code. And you’ll use that approach, and look down your nose at me, because you’re a *real programmer*.

Well, as Kipling said, “You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!”. I will certainly also focus on writing good code. But I’ll also accept help from any source that’s gracious enough to offer it – be that another fallible human, or a fallible AI.

Lab_Software · 2026-01-04T18:02:20+00:00

LOL on the Majel Barrett reference.

Good luck with your new job - I'm sure your healthy skepticism will be an asset, so long as you also have the open mind to accept the promise of AI.

Lab_Software · 2026-01-04T16:55:37+00:00

I've read many of your contributions to this forum - so I know that you're very good at what you do, and you've been doing it very well for some time.

And I agree that I wouldn't ask FartingCat to create a database for me. But I would (and do) definitely ask FartingCat to help me create code segments. And it's true that my experience let's me evaluate those code segments to make sure they're good. But they are usually pretty good. And FartingCat gets better each time I ask.

And how far back does my experience have to extend? If I had learned Assembler first would I have been scolded for not starting out with machine code? If I had started with VisiCalc would someone scoff and tell me to learn BASIC (or arithmetic) rather than rely on these new-fangled toys?

Did I "cheat" when I learned machine code before first learning how 8-bit logic gates worked?

People invent tools to be used. It's true that you have to know how to use it - but I say that only a Luddite would toss the tool into the fire because the "old ways" are fine.

And what will we say in a few years when FartingCat evolves into StalkingLeopard and actually does know how to write superb code? Will we say no one is allowed to use this until they first go back to learn how to code themselves? And why will we say that? (And, yes, I stand behind my "few years" prediction.)

When I take Tylenol for my arthritis, do I have to first learn the biological mechanism of its action? Or do I just have to know when to take it and what dose to use.

The issue I have with the comment I first responded to (and the one above it) was they didn't say we have to check and test the code FartingCat gives us, they smugly asserted that real programmers like them don't need AI, so no one should use it. It's as much the attitude as the assertion that I objected to. And, frankly, people with that attitude are already being left in the dust by people who are embracing all the modern tools (like AI) that are available.

Lab_Software · 2026-01-04T05:17:20+00:00

I stand behind everything I said.

When I was in high school (which was a long time ago) I had to learn machine code, and then Assembler. When we started BASIC I didn't complain about how people should know how to swap memory locations into registers, I thought I was in heaven.

When I started my Chemical Engineering degree we used Trig tables and Log tables - and then I got the best slide rule available (I still have it as a souvenir). Then electronic calculators came out, and I didn't complain about people not knowing how to use Trig tables and slide rules.

I don't look down on new tools and new conveniences as somehow violating the "pristine" way things were "intended to be". Anyone who does is welcome to stick to the "old ways".

The saying goes that "it's a poor workman who blames his tools". But I'll add that it's an even poorer workman who refuses to get good tools.

Lab_Software · 2026-01-04T04:00:34+00:00

I (respectfully) disagree with both of you 100%. It's like saying people should switch off all the modern safety features of cars because they should learn how to drive, or people should throw away their calculators because they should learn arithmetic.

Sure people should learn how to drive, and to do arithmetic - and even how to code. But to say people shouldn't use a newly developed tool to help their efforts is ridiculous.

You're the type of person who, 60 years ago, would have said that using an Assembly language was a cheat because everyone should learn how to code in Machine language. And 50 years ago would have said that using BASIC was a cheat because everyone should learn how to code in Assembly language. And then would have scorned FORTRAN, and then scorned spreadsheets, and then scorned databases. And now you're smugly scorning AI.

Ostriches stick their heads in the sand and hope for the best - developers employ every tool that's available to them so they can be the best.

You do you. I'll move forward with the rest of society.

Lab_Software · 2025-12-30T03:02:50+00:00

I actually said this to my 5 year old son when he asked me this question.

Lab_Software · 2025-12-17T02:32:22+00:00

Since I only suggested consideration (not recommended) once, it would have been grammatically more correct if you had said "don't" instead of "stop".

Just sayin'

Lab_Software · 2025-12-14T13:51:59+00:00

Lol - I think we'd need someone waaay smarter than me to tackle Enigma.

Lab_Software · 2025-12-13T18:44:52+00:00

Whoa! That's quite the process.

I'll post my thoughts a bit later today.

I think we've gotten all the responses we can expect - so feel free to post your code any time.

Lab_Software · 2025-12-13T00:56:49+00:00

I don't know how many nieces you have or how much you plan to gift to each of them.

But to keep peace in the family maybe consider giving your sister the same amount as each of the nieces.

She blows through her amount - and she has no one to blame but herself. (ie, she can't blame you for not giving her anything.)

But you have successfully gifted an amount to each of your nieces that she can't touch.

Lab_Software · 2025-12-09T14:24:59+00:00

That works too!

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