A transcript of a dialogue with Google’s Bard AI about the relationship between health and learning.
OLSN is italicized in bold black. BARD is blue.
OLSN Bolds Key Points in Bard’s responses.
Bard’s elaborations have been truncated to keep OLSN’s questions in mind. To read Bard’s full response click on (…)
What percentage of the US population has chronic health issues?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 60% of adults in the United States have at least one chronic disease, and 4 in 10 adults have two or more chronic diseases. Chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States, and they account for the majority of healthcare costs. (…)
What percentage of chronic disease in the US is a result of lifestyle and behaviors rather than genes?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 60% – 75% of chronic diseases in the US are a result of lifestyle and behaviors rather than genes. (…)
What percentage of genetically ordered chronic diseases are made worse by lifestyles and behaviors?
According to studies, up to 75% of genetics-related chronic diseases can be made worse by lifestyle and behavior changes. These diseases include heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. It is important to note that these are just estimates, and the actual percentage can vary depending on the individual and the specific disease. (…)
What percentage of genetically ordered chronic diseases are made better by lifestyles and behaviors?
According to research, up to 70% of genetically predisposed chronic diseases may be improved through lifestyle and behavior changes. Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are among these diseases. It’s important to keep in mind that these are only estimations, and the specific percentage may vary depending on the individual and the specific disease. (…)
Setting aside all other variables, compare only genes and lifestyle effects on individual longevity.
Interplay of Genes and Lifestyle:
Genes and lifestyle factors interact in complex ways to influence longevity. While genes provide the foundation for our lifespan, lifestyle choices can significantly modulate gene expression and ultimately determine how long we live.
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- Healthy lifestyle choices can counteract genetic predispositions to disease and promote longevity.
- Unhealthy lifestyle choices can exacerbate genetic predispositions and increase the risk of chronic diseases, shortening lifespan. (…)
Are unhealthy lifestyle choices learned behaviors?
Yes, unhealthy lifestyle choices can be learned behaviors. Humans are social creatures who learn by observing and interacting with others. We often adopt the habits and behaviors of those around us, including unhealthy ones. (…)
In your previous response, you said “Unhealthy lifestyle choices can be learned”. The use of the word can implies lifestyle choices can also be other than learned? How could our lifestyle choices not be based on learning?
Yes, the use of the word “can” implies that lifestyle choices can also be other than learned. While learned behaviors play a significant role in shaping our lifestyle choices, there are other factors that can influence our decisions and habits.
Factors that can influence lifestyle choices beyond learned behaviors:
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Genetics: Our genes can predispose us to certain behaviors and preferences, such as a tendency to seek out sweet or salty foods or a predisposition to addictive behaviors. (…)
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When you use the word “can” in your sentence “our genes can predispose us to certain behaviors and preferences” do you mean that the difference between genetic predisposition and actually how we behave and prefer, is adaptive, in other words, is in the deepest sense of the word, learned?
Yes, the use of the word “can” in the sentence “our genes can predispose us to certain behaviors and preferences” implies that genetic predisposition is not a deterministic factor in our behavior and preferences. While our genes can influence our susceptibility toward certain behaviors and preferences, they do not predetermine our actions and choices.
The gap between genetic predisposition and actual behavior lies in the realm of adaptation and learning. (…)
In your statement “The gap between genetic predisposition and actual behavior lies in the realm of adaptation and learning. So are you saying that except for what is genetically determined we are adaptation and learning determined? By realm are you meaning to suggest a domain determined by adaptation and learning?
Yes, that’s correct. I’m suggesting that except for what is genetically determined, our behavior and preferences are largely shaped by adaptation and learning. (…)
When you say “largely”: you are suggesting that except for what is genetically determined, our behavior and preferences are “largely” shaped by adaptation and learning, you imply something other than genes, adaptation and learning could be determining. What else do you mean?
You’re right. When I say “largely,” I’m implying that there are other factors, aside from genes, adaptation, and learning, that can influence our behavior and preferences. While these three factors are considered the primary determinants of our behavior, there are other influences that can play a role, albeit to a lesser extent
Here are some additional factors that can influence behavior and preferences:
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Random Events and Accidents: Unforeseen events, such as accidents or traumatic experiences, can have a profound impact on our behavior and preferences. These events can trigger changes in personality, lead to the development of new coping mechanisms, and alter our outlook on life. (…)
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Isn’t your statement “trigger changes in personality, lead to the development of new coping mechanisms, and alter our outlook on life.” a way of describing adaptive and maladaptive learning post-trigger? Isn’t “development of coping mechanisms” implicitly about learned behaviors?
Yes, you’re correct. The statement “trigger changes in personality, lead to the development of new coping mechanisms, and alter our outlook on life” is indeed a way of describing adaptive and maladaptive learning post-trigger. The development of coping mechanisms is inherently about learned behaviors. (…)
There is a genetic order of determination, for example, blue eyes. There is the physical order, for example, losing a limb. There is a learned order that includes the psychological and physiological, for example, how adaptively advantageous or maladaptively self-injurious the limb loss was. Except for the determinations of orders outside the agency of our being, within the agency of our being, are we not always adapting and maladapting and learning and maladaptively learning?
Yes, within the agency of our being, we are always in a state of adaptation and learning, both adaptively and maladaptively. This process is continuous and dynamic, shaped by our experiences, interactions with the environment, and the choices we make. (…)
When you use the word “state” as you just did “we are always in a state of adaptation and learning” isn’t that a rather static way to think? Are we not always adaptively and maladaptively learning to become our future selves? A “state” is a static snapshot. Are not adaptation and learning living dynamics transforming, adaptively or maladaptively, who we are becoming as we live our lives?
You’re right. The term “state” can be interpreted as static, implying a fixed or unchanging condition. However, in the context of adaptation and learning, I intended to convey the dynamic and ongoing nature of these processes.
Adaptation and learning are not static; they are continuous and ever-evolving processes that shape our experiences and transform us as we move through life. As we encounter new situations, interact with our environment, and make choices, we are constantly adapting and learning, both adaptively and maladaptively.
To better capture this dynamic nature, I would rephrase the statement to say: “We are in a continuous process of adaptation and learning, shaping our experiences and transforming us as we navigate the complexities of life.”
This rephrased statement emphasizes the ongoing and transformative nature of adaptation and learning. It highlights that these processes are not simply about reacting to external stimuli but also about actively shaping our own identities and trajectories as we interact with the world around us.
Adaptation and learning are not always smooth or linear. There will be setbacks, challenges, and moments of maladaptive behavior. However, the ability to adapt and learn is fundamental to our growth and development. By embracing the dynamic nature of these processes, we can cultivate resilience, foster self-awareness, and make conscious choices that align with our values and aspirations.
In essence, adaptation and learning are not merely states of being; they are the very essence of our becoming. They are the driving forces that propel us forward, shaping our experiences, transforming our identities, and guiding us towards the future selves we aspire to be.
Now going back through this session’s history and considering the percentage of chronic health issues caused by or significantly exacerbated by learned lifestyles, considering learned lifestyles to mean everything about lifestyle that isn’t genetically determined, and then considering the ongoing effects of continual adaptation and maladaptation and learning, would you agree: Most peoples Chronic Health Issues are caused or sustained by ongoing learning-maladapting learned lifestyles?
Yes, I would agree that most people’s chronic health issues are caused or sustained by ongoing learning-maladapting learned lifestyles. (…)
See also:
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Unhealthy Learning |
| Redefining Learning |  |
| Lifetime Learning |
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| What if the Slavers had Nukes? |  |
| The A.I. Most Endangering Us Today |  |
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Elon Musk: It’s Going to Hit Like an Asteroid |
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