Florence’s Comments (group member since Mar 08, 2012)

Florence’s comments from the Science and Natural History group.

Great! I'm looking forward to reading this book. I just put a hold on it at our library.

I am having a hard time with this book. Quite often I want to throw it across the room and run out the door yelling, "how can people be so gullible??" Yes, I am reading the chapter on homeopathy.

The Leafcutter Ants by Bert Holldobler & Edward O. Wilson. It is an easy read but full of interesting information, charts, and photos.

Folks, I found Part IV tedious and repetitious. Onward to Chapter 20.

Chapter 7
Different parts of the brain have evolved by group selection to create groupishness.
It is an uncomfortable fact that when given a guilt-free choice, individuals prefer the company of people of the same race, nation, clan, & religion.

An unavoidable and perpetual war exists between honor, virtue, & duty (the products of group selection) and selfishness, cowardice, & hypocrisy (the products of individual selection)
Much of culture and the creative arts has arisen from the inevitable clash of individual selection and group selection.
The human condition is an endemic turmoil rooted in the evolutionary processes that created us. The worst in our nature coexists with the best, and so it will ever be

Carnivores at campsites are forced to behave in ways not needed by wanderers in the field. They must divide labor: some hunt and forage, others guard the campsite and young. They must share food in ways that are acceptable to all.
Group members compete with one another for status, food, mate, and a comfortable place to sleep. The advantage is with those who are able to read the intentions of others, gain trust and allegiance of other, and manage rivals.
Social intelligence was always at a high premium

Pre adaptations leading through the evolutionary maze to eusociality:
Large size & relative immobility
Hands & feet developed for grasping
Bipedalism
Control of fire
Campsites

"In evolution, with diversity comes opportunity "
"Our prehuman ancestors were not chosen; they were lucky."

Some interesting quotes from Chapter 2:
"We have conquered the biosphere & laid waste to it like no other species in the history of life. We are unique in what we have wrought."
"We are an evolutionary chimera, living on intelligence steered by the demands of animal instinct. This is the reason we are mindlessly dismantling the biosphere and, with it, our own prospects for permanent existence. "
"Homo sapiens emerged in the last hundred thousand years and spread around the world only in the last 60,000 years. There was not time for us to co evolve with the biosphere. Other species were not prepared for the onslaught. "
"This shortfall soon had dire consequences for the rest of life."

"The prehumans evolved to eusociability by the interaction of selection at the level of individual selection and at the level of the group."

Chapter 1
Who are we? Where did we come from? Where are we going? These are the basic questions of philosophy and religion and E.O.Wilson will enlighten us. Truly, he ventures where angels fear to tread.

I never know what to expect when starting to read a new book by Edward O. Wilson. I never know which way his brilliant mind will go. To read the prologue and find a brief biography and discussion of Paul Gauguin and his impressionist painting was an interesting surprise. Now on to the rest of the book.

I just downloaded it to my Kindle. I generally love everything E.O.Wilson has ever written so I am looking forward to this one!

I just finished Tales from the Underground too. It was excellent and I have a brief review of it also.

Tales from the Underground by David Wolfe.Tales From The Underground: A Natural History Of Subterranean Life

Tales From The Underground: A Natural History Of Subterranean Life[

Finished! Excellent to the very end!

Steve, those are quite some accomplishments for your students! Congratulations!
I have to ask, Did you finish the book last night?
I'm on page 456 and am going to try to finish today. We will see if life (as it so often does) will interfere with my plan!

For Love of Insects

I'd like to suggest For Love of Insects by Thomas Eisner. Very interesting, funny in parts, and readable.

I love the quote from J.B.S.Haldane, "the universe is not only queerer than we suppose; it is queerer than we can suppose."

Wonderful! I've listened to this on audio CDs and it was excellent. I'm looking forward to reading it next month!