Reductionism and Holism
Randy
Derek Gatherer called "So what do we really mean when we say that
systems biology is holistic?".
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1752-0509/4/22
There is a scene in "The Matrix" where Neo first meets Morpheus, and
Morpheus says he knows why Neo has sought him out:
"Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know
something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've
felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world.
You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your
mind, driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me.
Do you know what I'm talking about?"
I believe there is a "splinter in the mind" of systems biology. I
believe that papers like Gatherer's are an attempt to clarify our
thinking and our approach to science. I believe that the debate about
the philosophical underpinnings of science has real impact on what we
do. I believe we are reaching a point where data, knowledge, and
technology are reaching critical mass. Gatherer says, "As with
previous decisive moments in the history of biology, only those
theories that immediately suggest relatively easy experiments will be
winners." I'm not sure if I like the idea of a theory "winning", but
at least being successful in an evolutionary sense, a step in the
right direction. Check the paper out, it's well worth your time!