h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A classic Sir Isaac Newton quote:

"I have been like a child gathering brightly colored pebbles along a shore line.

If I have seen a little farther than most, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of titans."

I hope he wore clean shoes.

>> If I have seen a little farther than most, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of titans. <<

Apparently this was a mean spirited comment - addressed at the vertically challenged Robert Hooke. Hooke was upset with Newton as he felt Newton didn't credit him with priority over the inverse square law.

On the whole, he did, though he did get a little roughshod with Liebnitz.

Newton's professional jealousy notwithstanding, a rather unequivocal case of simultaneous discovery of a similar body of scientific and mathematical truths.

Though this has come be recognized as a commonplace since, the situation in their time was something of a first in scientific history.

In passing, the Liebnitz formulations on kinetic potential energy are somewhat sounder than those of Newton and later gave the German artillerists a leg up.




Meanwhile this has little to with roots of institutions of Roman Catholicism in the institutions of Imperial Rome and instead relates to controversies of the era of the secularization of the Universities.

Newton, for example, was the first professor of Trinity College to become a don without first being ordained in holy orders, establishing an important precedent.

Yes I've heard that Hooke and Newton hated each other with a passion. There's quite a lot of that about today too amongst senior scientists

>>..a rather unequivocal case of simultaneous discovery of a similar
body of scientific and mathematical truths.
Though this has come be recognized as a commonplace since,
the situation in their time was something of a first in scientific history. <<

Thus confirming my theory of microbial changes to the human mind
and body following the Medieval plagues. Suddenly, we were living
in an age of 'progress', 'enlightenment' and 'exploration'. Widespread
memetic interplay might have come about with fundamental changes
to the human 'mind'.

The development of insect-like institutional organistions and social
hierarchies (larger militaries, governments, industry, agricultural
systems, scientific academies, universities, the Reformation, opera...)
all came about following the 'hardening off' by the Plague.

Similar industrial and social 'advances' can be seen in the early
20th century (and beyond) following the Spanish flu pandemic.

Some thought must also be given to the development of anti-bacterial
medicines in the past century which can be seen as some sort of inter-
special warfare amongst certain microbial organisms that led to the
resurgence of newer, bigger, nastier bugs with evolved resistance.
No doubt our 'progress' is about to be exponentially infected in
those who survive the coming vampire apocalypso.


~jwf~

You wouldn't happen to be inferring that germs are getting smarter than we are?

Not simply inferring or meekly implying; I'm saying it.

But I have to qualify it by suggesting that 'smarter' is
a very relative term, especially in evolutionary terms.

Many mutations may have allowed certain species to adapt
to changing environments but these same mutations often
become a handicap in overall long-term survival situations.
Giraffes spring to mind.

It is our wide ranging adaptability that marks our special
status as the crown of creation (thus far). We were designed
to answer the asteroid question that was raised with the
unplanned and unforeseen extinction of the dinosaurs by forces
outside the planetary confines. A new frontier for microbes
who had stared at the sun and stars and thought them benign.

No doubt the microbial hive mind has absorbed what we have
discovered and is currently making plans for their next avatars,
something with extra-terrestrial capability.


~jwf~

[Cue spooky music .]

Evolutionary truism, every natural disaster or other evolutionary crisis favors intelligence suitable to its exigencies.

Meanwhile, bacteria, fungi and tardigrades have already made their way into space from the Earth, though so far as is known, none have established free living populations there yet.

Aye, ITIWBS
>so far as is known, none have established free living populations there yet<

I'll lay 1,000 to 1 that they're out there, though - seeking freedom from persecution

Maybe on Mars.

Barely conceivable on Titan.

Just not in the cards anywhere else except aboard terrestrial space vehicles, which are properly reckoned parts of the Terrestrial biome.

Have you met the water bear? An ancient microscopic creature
known as a tardigrade. It has fueled the theory of panspermia
which posits that life on earth came from away.

It can survive in the deepest oceans and highest mountains and
withstand near absolute zero temperatures. It can also survive
without water for years.

So we sent some into space and left them outside the shuttle for
ten days. They survived and when returned to earth they were able
to procreate.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/12855775

"In September 2007, tardigrades were taken into low Earth orbit on the FOTON-M3 mission and for 10 days were exposed to the vacuum of space. After they were returned to Earth, it was discovered that many of them survived and laid eggs that hatched normally. In May 2011, studies involving tardigrades were included on STS-134, the final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour."

http://firstnews.co.nz/2014/06/19/meet-the-toughest-animal-on-this-planet/


Do an image search for 'water bears in space'.
They are pretty cute for something that has not evolved much in
over 3 billion years.


~jwf~

*the panspermia theory coincides with many creation myth metaphors
that describe a god or first man coming from distant lands by walking
across impassable waters*

More:
http://scienceray.com/technology/pioneer-space-survivors/

Sounds encouraging.

I hope they don't eat human flesh, though .

All depends on what kind.

Your eyelash follicle cleaning mites are tardigrades, generally considered harmless and helpful.

The common household dust mite is definitely not harmless and helpful, and least for those of us who are violently allergic.

The organism that causes scabies is also a tardigrade variety.