Week 13 - Biology Lives On

1. What significance would you attribute to chimps "making tools"?
2. Giant toads and colossal squids - whatever next?

1.
Chimpanzees are near to us developmentally so it is of no surprise that they have fashioned 'tools' to kill other animals for food. What is more surprising is our continued human arrogance and ignorance of the inherent intelligence spread throughout all of the natural world - in living and non-living systems.

HA!

2.
Why are we so concerned with anomalies and why do we think we better understand something by pointing to the extremely aberrant aspects of a system? Or are we more fascinated by the discovery that there are things we haven't discovered yet? haven't conquered with our intellect yet... haven't identified and labeled with our 'perfect logic' and 'advanced sciences'.

Throughout this class, I have grown increasingly aware of my own opinions of the scientific assumptions and arrogance displayed by the human beings. What is next? How about we try to appreciate and understand the immense intelligence of the living universe rather than point at a giant squid and say, "Hey! I have never seen one this big - KILL IT so we can show everyone else and increase our understanding of the oceanic depths!"

I am just critical of the seeming lack of humble and respectful investigation into the mystery all around us. It is as though part of us is a bunch of blokes just blundering through reality, usually tripping over new perspectives and understandings and acting surprised, like we had no idea there was something we hadn't figured out.

I look forward to the persevering integrity of the clear and respectful observer that seeks to understand out of an admiration and love for all things; this is what science truly aspires to be...