Cell Language Theory, The: Connecting Mind And Matter

194 The Cell Language Theory: Connecting Mind and Matter

b2861 The Cell Language Theory: Connecting Mind and Matter “6x9”

of the cell written in cellese) which contemporary molecular biologists are

trying to decode.

The compatibility of Table 4.9 with semiotic principles is another

support for the validity of comparing decoding of the DNA text with the

decoding of Egyptian glyphs. One philosophical or metaphysical spin-off of

Triangle (Figure 4.6) may be that the human brain is a Rosetta Stone carry-

ing both microglyphs (DNA and neuronal processes) and macroglyphs

(linguistic capacity, the Universal Grammar of Chomsky, etc.).

Both Egyptian hieroglyphs and DNA sequences are signs because

they stand for something other than themselves. However, there are

important differences between these two kinds of signs. For one thing,

Egyptian hieroglyphs are macroscopic in size and exist outside the human

brain, whereas DNA sequences are microscopic in size and exist inside

the human brain as a part of all neurons. Rosetta Stone (Figure 4.7a) was

discovered in 1799 by French soldiers during a brief occupation of Egypt

by Napoleon and his army [257–259].

The Rosetta Stone contains three scripts inscribed on its surface —

Egyptian hieroglyphs that were unknown, demotic and Greek scripts

which were known. Most importantly, all the texts written in these scripts

had a common object of reference, namely the decree of Memphis, extol-

ling the accomplishments of a young Pharaoh. Therefore, it was antici-

pated that the unknown text would eventually be deciphered through

comparing it with the texts written in known languages. Indeed,

Champollion was able to decipher the Egyptian glyphs because of the

Table 4.9 Three classes of written signs in Egyptian hieroglyphs, extracted from [258, 259].

Logograms (A) Phonograms (B) “Logophonograms” (C)

Iconic signs for a woman

and a boy placed as the

end of a hieroglyphic

name to indicate the

sex of the person

named

All the hieroglyphic

signs in the name of

Cleopatra, Ptolemy,

and Alexander

The circle-and-a-dot symbol

appearing in the name of the

Pharaoh Ramses stands for

(i) the sun called “rah” in Coptic, and

(ii) the phoneme “r” in Egyptian

hieroglyph

Note: The term “logophonogram” used here is coined to indicate a symbolic sign (-gram) with the

dual function of carrying meanings (logo-) as well as acting as a phoneme (-phono-). It is suggested

here that the molecular analogs of logophonograms are conformons.

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