[mdlug] Darwinia game at Big Lots for $4

[Aaron Kulkis]

Joseph Vartanian wrote:
> On Nov 20, 2007 6:53 PM, Aaron Kulkis <akulkis3 at hotpop.com> wrote:
>> Wolfger wrote:
>>> On Nov 19, 2007 6:59 PM, Aaron Kulkis <akulkis3 at hotpop.com> wrote:
>>>> Joseph Vartanian wrote:
>>>>> On Nov 19, 2007 8:38 AM, Ingles, Raymond <Raymond.Ingles at compuware.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> The site says "Your task is to destroy the Viral Infection and save
>>>>> the Darwinians from extinction."  Wouldn't Darwin say that the
>>>>> extinction of the Darwinians is natural selection?
>>>> Only if the Darwinians do nothing to resist -- otherwise,
>>>> the outcome is contested, but the result, whatever it
>>>> might be, will still be Darwinian natural selection.
>>> I am constantly amazed at how many people deem human intervention to
>>> be unnatural. We are, after all, as nature created us... impulses to
>>> intervene and all.
>>>
>> Precisely.
>>
> 
> True.  We often forget that we're part of this thing we call nature.
> I believe it's just us trying to distance ourselves from the animal
> kingdom, because it makes us feel special.  But why shouldn't we
> distance ourselves from them?  We're smarter than them.  We're the
> only living things on Earth that actually understand concepts like
> natural selection and extinction.  We have a much better
> understanding, than any other animal, of how our actions impact the
> world around us and ultimately ourselves.  This ability to understand
> things that other animals can't understand is the one and only unique
> ability that nature gave to us humans.  Humans think and animals act
> on impulse.  If we don't use this unique ability, and act only on pure
> impulse, then that makes us nothing but animals again.

Elephants and some of the higher apes also demonstrate
self-awareness (such as minipulating their own body parts
for a better look after being presented with a mirror and
being given enough time with the mirror to be able to
figure out that the creature seen in the mirror is actually
themselves)... I believe they have also demonstrated this
with some dolphins and killer-whales (orcas -- not to be
confused with orcs ;-) )

> 
> Now I have no idea why I just wrote all that.  I think it was just an impulse.
> 

Mmmmmmmmm... could BEEEEEEEE ;-)

</bugsbunny>

> -Joseph