Dog Fetches Tire

"I've got a tire in my moush? Don't be ridiculous."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

New Kind Human Found Which Challeges Darwinian Theory

A new find of human remains challenges Darwinian theory. Science was absolutely certain that for the past 80,000 or so years only humans and Neanderthals wandered the earth. First the "hobbit" on the island of Flores was found which showed that other hominids lived almost to the present time in remote parts of the world. Now a new human species has come to light in Mongolia. The DNA from a child's finger indicates a separate species. Denisova is the name given to the new humans after the region where it was found.

For many years it was believed animals with a different number of chromosomes could not interbreed. This premise is now brought into question. Neanderthal DNA has been identified in human DNA. This finding makes the discovery of our origins almost impossible. With no clear distinction between species how do you put them into categories?

Denisova and humans diverted from a common ancestor about a million years ago. Neanderthals and humans separated from their ancestor half a million years ago. If interbreeding was commonplace Man's history will be blurred. The offspring of parents from two types of hominids will carry traits from both variations. Finding remains of distinct species will be more difficult. For the most part, however, bones and fossils of different hominids are being found. Perhaps cross breeding was not the norm.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cat Look See

"Now, let me see."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

People Perceive the World Differently

All human beings are the same. This presumption is now challenged by new findings. Some people are good at remembering faces and the names that go with them. Others can recognize only a few. Some very few, indeed, perhaps just one or two friends. This means that we all have a unique perception of life. If remembering others is significant what about other differences in our sensory sensitivities?

The Muller-Lyer illusion is illuminating. In this test the length of two lines is the same. One has lines at the two ends pointing inward. The other has lines pointing out. The percentage of people who perceive the second line to be longer differs from society to society. For example, the Kalahari foragers know that the lines are same length - nearly all of the participants tested. On the other hand, most Senegalese believed the second line to be longer.

The Dictator Game also highlights the difference. In this "test" a player is allowed to share a pot of money with another player to apportion rewards fairly. Westerners gave twice as much as people from Bolivia.

Questions arise. If we are not equal, should the law be applied differently to different people? Furthermore, should those born with "better" attributes be selected out at a young age and be "primed" to take leading positions as adults? We are not all like peas in a pod. Should societies be stratified to reflect the variation?


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cat Bites Finger

"Just a little closer sonny."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Don't Get Excited About Nuclear Power

The world is in a tight corner and people are far too optimistic. Thinking that carbon pollution will cure itself is not scientific fact. Only a fool would hang onto the notion that nothing is wrong. The poles are thawing out and that is fact. Polar bears are dwindling in number as their traditional frozen feeding grounds get warmer. Butterflies that used to stay on in winter in southern England have moved north to colder climes. Those species that stay are getting larger.

Despite coal power stations being the main culprit more are being built to meet Mankind's increasing demand. Much is said about nuclear power stations holding the key to a "clean" future. Used uranium is going around Europe at this very moment without finding a home in any country. Where will this dangerous product be put in the future? Unless it is blasted into space toward the sun there is no where for it to go. France gets more than 80 percent of its electric power from nuclear means, but this is the country with the used uranium problem.

Even some scientists say the carbon footprint of nuclear power will be reduced to zero. This is hogwash. If you ignore nuclear waste everything looks good. Include it and it all looks very bad indeed. Nuclear power isn't cheap. Building a nuclear power plant requires long term planning. Safe guards are costly. Their useful life is also limited. Coal plants can stay in operation for much longer.

Within twenty years all 25 of China's new nuclear plants will come online. The world will be a militants' paradise with used uranium for sale on the open market. The consequences will be catastrophic. Saying there is no carbon price is absolute rubbish. If a bomb goes off there will be plenty of pollution.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .