Genome Report

Gunder is right.  It is the RELATIONSHIPS between the parts & the whole
that create the realm of appearances, whether we are thinking of
individual organisms (like humans or fruit flies) or entire societies.
Genes are like rules in a board game--they set out the boundary
conditions, but do not specify or "micro-manage" the activities of 
the players (proteins), hence the progress and development of each game
played is unique and CANNOT BE PREDICTED BY KNOWLEDGE OF THE RULES ALONE.
The scientific evaluation and analysis of the dialectics that generate a
complex whole (whether a human or an entire world-system) is the realm of
"complexity" theories, which I believe is the most promising future
direction for uture wold-system research.
--Peter