Physica A 248 (1998) 57–76 Bacterial wisdom, G odel’s theorem and creative genomic webs Eshel Ben-Jacob ∗ School of Physics and Astronomy, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, 69978 Tel-Aviv, Israel Received 31 August 1997 Abstract This paper is devoted to presenting an alternative approach to the Darwinian one. The basic assumption is that the creativity observed in nature is not an illusion but part of an objective reality. In the new picture evolutionary progress is not a result of successful accumulation of mistakes, but is rather the outcome of designed creative processes in the genome. PACS: 87.22.-q; 61.43.Hr; 02.60.Cb Keywords: G odel; Global brain; Smart bacteria; Cooperative evolution; Creativity; Paradoxes 1. Introduction The reductionist approach has long governed western philosophy and underpinned our view of the world and our scientic thought [1]. The Universe is Laplace’s mechanical universe, in which there is no room for renewal or creativity. On the contrary, the assumption is that systems in nature, when left alone, approach maximum entropy according to the second law of thermodynamics. Concepts like cognition, intelligence or creativity are regarded as our illusions. The amazing process of evolution – from inanimate matter, through organisms of increasing complexity, to the emergence of intelligence – is claimed to be merely a successful ac- cumulation of errors (random mutations) enhanced by natural selection (the Darwinian picture) [ 2 – 6]. The reductionist hegemony in scientic thought is largely due to the undeni- able achievements of science, which have not been hindered by the still unsolved fundamental questions. The power of the Darwinian picture lies not only in its * E-mail: benJacob@gina.tau.ac.il. 0378-4371/98/$19.00 Copyright c  1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved PII S0378-4371(97)00529-3