# Computing the Functional Information in Cancer

**URL:** <https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/computing-the-functional-information-in-cancer/1646>\
**Category:** Conversation\
**Tags:** Design\
**Created:** [September 15, 2018, 4:57am UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/computing-the-functional-information-in-cancer/1646 "2018-09-15T04:57:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 9

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**Author:** ![swamidass](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/swamidass/32/3_2.png) [@swamidass](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/swamidass)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2018, 6:40am UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/computing-the-functional-information-in-cancer/1646/9 "2018-09-15T06:40:07Z")

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## What Have We Learned?

We learned several things.

1. There are many types of mutual information.
2. Some types of mutual information decrease with random mutations.
3. Other types of mutual information can increase with random mutations + selection.
4. #2 and #3 are not contradictory statements.
5. Functional information is identifiable as the type of mutual information that can increase with mutation + selection.
6. We can compute the functional information of cancer directly based on some well understood biology, and it can be as high as 350 bits.
7. There for we observe that natural processes can easily produce substantial amounts of functional information.
8. This means that functional information is definitively _not_ a _unique_ signature of intelligence.

As explained by Robert Mark’s PhD student:

> [@Do Heat Seeking Missiles Have Teleology?](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/do-heat-seeking-missiles-have-teleology/1552/50):
>
> this proof shows the randomness + determinism = mutual information model of the world is false.  
> That is all ID claims.

> [@Do Heat Seeking Missiles Have Teleology?](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/do-heat-seeking-missiles-have-teleology/1552/70):
>
> All other ID claims reduce to that claim. For example, Dembski points out irreducible complexity is a form of CSI.

I’ve shown now the way in which this proof is correct, and the way in which it is incorrect. It turns out that some types of mutual information will decrease with random mutations of a starting sequence. Other types can increase. Functional information is the type of mutual information that can increase.

I’ve shown this visually. I’ve provided experimental evidence in the cancer biology. This should now be intuitively clear and and empirically established.

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