Week Three Assignments

1. Genetic similarities between the humans and the chimpanzees; I find this to be ultimately irrelevant to what comes down to the fact that we are so interconnected with the Earth and the rest of life around us that is becomes a waste of energy and an avoidance of intimate and deep connection by searching for statistical and measurable reasons for this inherent connection.

2. The Cell Quiz (see previous posting)

3. Human Genetic Evolution -
I find the article on spontaneous generation to be extremely fascinating:

From the time of the ancient Romans, through the Middle Ages, and until the late nineteenth century, it was generally accepted that some life forms arose spontaneously from non-living matter. Such "spontaneous generation" appeared to occur primarily in decaying matter. For example, a seventeenth century recipe for the spontaneous production of mice required placing sweaty underwear and husks of wheat in an open-mouthed jar, then waiting for about 21 days, during which time it was alleged that the sweat from the underwear would penetrate the husks of wheat, changing them into mice. Although such a concept may seem laughable today, it is consistent with the other widely held cultural and religious beliefs of the time. (1)

How wonderful to see the pre-scientific methods at work!

I also find it fascinating that we have developed ways of thinking and problem solving that allow us a seemingly more accurate view of the world. Interestingly beyond this, we still hold onto certain ideas and views of the world unless we are given a certain kind of evidence of anything different. It is as though we require encouragement and permission to refresh our world-view and fit it into the ever-evolving world. We require authority and proof from outside of ourselves to validate ideas of ourself and our world.
With so much information moving so quickly at this time, we can gain access to a very rapidly evolving world-view by taking in new information, checking it with the old information and then synthesizing an entirely or subtly new world-view.

Another question that comes to mind with regards to evolution is: how are we continuing to evolve? What is the impulse, the drive, the stressor that is pulling us into the future of ourselves?

Humans are Animals? Uh oh!

Last year, an article in the Guardian focussed on the genetics discovery that humans and chimpanzees are 99.4% genetically identical in the most 'critical DNA sites'.

Interestingly, when we humans first classified chimpanzees in 1775, we classified them under the same genus as ourselves - Homo. It appears as though we decided to arbitrarily separate ourselves from our chimp cousins and created the genus "Pan" in 1816 to place the chimpanzee species under.

Through genetic science-technologies, we have been able to redetermine our closeness to our animal relatives, forcing us to acknowledge our own animal nature and to raise our respect for and the rights of the chimpanzees. We are now considering bringing the chimpanzees back into the Homo genus.

I feel that this is only appropriate, especially if it is genetically accurate. I am of the spirit of the Native American people's belief that we are ALL relatives and should treat all our relations with love, respect, and compassion. This includes plants and trees, the Earth itself, and of course all creatures. Why we would presume to be distinct and separate is really only a phase of our development as beings. I feel that we are growing out of this and 'scientific' discoveries such as these are only reflections of our own return to the Circle of Life. The only question I have remaining is, how much will the Human race have to change before it can live peacefully with itself and the rest of the Planet and Cosmos?