Saturday, June 18, 2011

HUMAN INSIGNIFICANCE

Moving from Cosmology in my last blog to the self-exalted divinity of God’s human clones, we might wonder just what place mankind actually holds in the history of the earth.




When I taught school in Alaska, one of the Science projects (Science deserves to be capitalized) I used was to lay out a time line of the earth that began behind the school and ran 100 yards into the bush (spruce forest.)   A path would take observers to the beginning point farthest from the village, and travelers would work their way along the time line back into the village.




Also see:


As a math skill the students found 100 yards to be 3600 inches and divided that into 4.5 billion years (the age of the earth) to determine that each inch represented 1.25 million years.   Each group of students were given an era and they had to determine their position on the time line and decorate it with appropriate art work to demonstrate the evolution of the earth during their time period.    Of course a traveler would advance in time finally ending up in the village at present time.






The point I am trying to make with this blog entry is that Lucy (Australopithecus Afarensis) and her relatives first appeared about 4 million years ago, or 3.2 inches from the end of the timeline; and homo sapiens (modern man) appeared about 200,000 years ago: at .16 or 1/6th of an inch from the end of the 100 yard time line.   We have been here a minuscule amount of time.




Woman kind (for she came first) and her spawn have been on the earth almost an insignificant time when compared with the history of the earth – and because of our self destructive nature our kind will probably be a short lived species












I get a kick when I hear people talk about the end of the world, or Armageddon; for the earth is not going to end as imagined by human reality: we very likely will destroy ourselves and some of the other life forms, but the earth will heal itself and continue to evolve after we are gone.




Of course, at some point in the distant future our solar system will expire according to cosmic law.



But we the people, in our shallowness, create gods in our own likeness, image and liking; and believe that the earth and the heavens and the cosmos are here as a tribute to immortal us and some immortal supreme entity from which we are cloned.



What a self-deluded, self-important, trivial species we are.



The reality is that we are here with some limited reasoning faculty, for a brief time, due to a chance turn on the evolutionary time line; and as such, we should try to appreciate and live fully each day of our allotted time.



This leaky, tumbledown grass hut
left and opening for the moon
and I gazed at it.
All the while it was mirrored
In a deardrop fallen on my sleeve.
Saigyo



ZEN comes as a reminder that if we do not perceive the mystery and beauty of our present life, our present hour, we shall not perceive the worth of any life, of any hour.

-IS is HOLY-




6 comments:

  1. I particularly appreciate the part about how we are a "self-deluded, self-important, trivial species we are". Living in this tiny town of religious fanatics, I often think about this. I keep looking for anyone who may not tell me I'm going to hell if I share my truth with them, but I've learned only to not share my truth.
    This is a great post with beautiful pictures. Thank you for putting it together.

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  2. Love the science project idea. Of course when it is adapted by the 6000 year old earth folks, the line will be a tad different
    Funny, the same folks who are convinced we are NOT the centre of the universe as you so ably pointed out in this post and your last one, are the same folks who are convinced that WE are changing the climate. Delusions of grandeur come in all sizes and shapes.

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  3. Like the Darwin and the monkey one.

    I have my own theory, instead of just a big bang, what if after time the momentum stops and gravity causes it all to contract?? And after it collapses, there's another big bang. I call it my Paddle-ball theory!!

    And yes, we are changing climate. We have been changing our environment and climate ever since we learned to use fire!!

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  4. Linda: I have been there and done that - and moved to Maine. Know the smothering feeling.

    Kulkuri: Perhaps (like my very first blog entry) this is all my dream (Like schrodinger's cat) and when I'm gone - it's all gone.

    Blog Fodder: Earths population doubles every forty years - our pollution, at least, doubles every forty years - our consumption doubles every forty years - our water resources are depleting - forest land is being decimated - we are having a negative effect on our environment that will probably first be evident in climate adjustment -
    The earth exist in a delicate balance and it is likely we are upseting that balance.
    But then again it may be cow farts - you would be more of and expert than I on that. \
    I love and look forward to your blogs - Have a good day.
    the Ol'Buzzard

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  5. As a species we are pretty screwed up and most aren't even within shouting distance of the paths that could lead to some sort of sensible understanding of our condition. The good news is there are some wise and entertaining individuals among us.

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  6. Susan; Yes, but they are so few...the sane voice in the asylum.

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COMMENT: Ben Franklin said, "I imagine a man must have a good deal of vanity who believes, and a good deal of boldness who affirms, that all doctrines he holds are true, and all he rejects are false."