(i) “Information and the autonomy of biology.” Does the physical nature of a communication system used within or between living organisms bear on the significance (semantic content) of what is to be communicated? Conversely, does the level of significance constrain the type of signal that can be used? I hope to explore the idea that the extent to which the means of signalling is unconstrained is a reflection of the extent to which (within the context) we can think of biology as being autonomous of physics and chemistry. (ii) “Trade-offs and the stability of cooperative groups“. The aim is to explore a model for the evolution of cooperation. Asexual organisms reproduce as individuals and, in between, associate to form groups. A group contains a subset of the genotypes represented in the population. Fitness differences reflect the variation in different traits expressed throughout the life cycle. Can a balance be attained between the various components of fitness and permit the long-term maintenance of genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity?