PR4P: The title of your book, “Synergistic Selection,” is an obvious play on “natural selection.” How is it different?
Dr. Corning: The title of my book refers to a sub-category of natural selection. It encompasses the many cases in nature when two or more genes, or parts, or organisms cooperate, and, because of their synergy, they form a single “unit” that has a competitive advantage.
PR4P: So, how would you define the concept of synergy for a layman?
Dr. Corning: Many people are familiar with the expression, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” An often-cited example is water, where two gases combine to produce a liquid. In the natural world, synergy refers to the unique combined effects that are produced by cooperation between two or more genes, parts or organisms. A classic example is lichens, where various kinds of fungi and cyanobacteria (or green algae) with different capabilities form symbiotic partnerships. Their joint capabilities give them a competitive edge.
PR4P: You claim that synergy has played a key role in evolution. Could you explain?
Dr. Corning: One of the most important trends in evolution over the past 3.8 billion years – from the origins of life to human societies in the 21st century -- has been an ever-increasing complexity, and this has been driven by increasingly powerful synergies. “The arc of evolution bends toward synergy.”
Interview with Peter Corning