GENETICS VS WILL and DESIRE

[Eugene Ackerman, Ph.D.]

On 10 Dec 94 04:59:28 GMT, 
Milan Luketic  <mluketic at kits.sfu.ca> wrote:

>
>This topic has caused turmoil in a small circle of people and
>is now taken to the international level to be resolved.
>
>Thesis Statement:  A person who wishes to be tall and concentrates
>                   on it constantly will in the end be a little taller
>                   than if s/he did not have the desire to be tall.
>
>
>POINT: DNA preprograms a persons height, an thus cannot be changed
>       regardless of any other influences.
>
>COUNTERPOINT: Emotions and mental state can indirectly have a large influence
>        on the bodies chemistry, and therefore can increase the chances of 
>        reaching full potential for growth and can exceed that potential 
>        on a limited basis. A persons mental state can favour certain reactions
>        to go to completion.
>
>If there is anybody who could settle this discussion once and for all...
>PLEASE DO SO!
>
>Milan  .
> 
>-- 
>--Milan Luketic--
>--mluketic at sfu.ca--
>

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]

I can NOT settle the dispute for once nad for all.  However, it is well 
known that factors other than DNA influence adult body height.  One 
indicator is the observation that children of european immigrants to thsi 
country predominantly were taller than their parents.  Another is that 
current young adults in Japan who grew up in the post-war, prosperity era 
tend to be taller than their parents.

Usually I have heard this attributed  to a combination of diet, living 
space, excercise and other environmental factors.  If these are so 
important, why couldn't emotional and even rational control also be 
important?

Walk in peace . . .      . . . Gene

The Amethyst Gemstone

[*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*][*]