Zachriel and the Lederberg Experiment

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Decades ago the Lederbergs conducted an experiment using bacteria.

This experiment demonstrated that the resitance to anti-biotics was already in the population when the anti-biotics were introduced (put on the plate).

IOW the resistance did not come in response to the exposure.

This was supposed to demonstrate that mutations are random with respect to fitness.

However that "conclusion" was reached before we knew that bacteria communicate:

Communicating bacteria

More communicating bacteria

Quorum sensing


The point is the Lederbergs didn't know about this communication.

IOW as far as they knew the bacteria were communicating with each other and that communication sparked the variation that affrded the anti-biotic resistance.

That woudl mean the mutations are nit genetic accidents but part of some "built-in response to environmental cues".

However Zachriel cannot grasp that and instead blathers on and on about "random with respect to fitness".