What is more important; socially or scientifically based evolution?

[jungjedi]

"James Lovelock, in collaboration with another eminent scientist, the microbiologist Lynn Margulis, first explained the Gaia hypothesis as such: "Life, or the biosphere, regulates or maintains the climate and the atmospheric composition at an optimum for itself." Inherent in this explanation is the idea that biosphere, the atmosphere, the lithosphere and the hydrosphere are in some kind of balance - that they maintain a homeostatic condition. This homeostasis is much like the internal maintenance of our own bodies; processes within our body insure a constant temperature, blood pH, electrochemical balance, etc. The inner workings of Gaia, therefore, can be viewed as a study of the physiology of the Earth, where the oceans and rivers are the Earth's blood, the atmosphere is the Earth's lungs, the land is the Earth's bones, and the living organisms are the Earth's senses. Lovelock calls this the science of geophysiology - the physiology of the Earth (or any other planet)."

 

Interesting ideas which probably wouldn't shock a pagan or pantheist, and leading to some interesting thoughts - how about the earth as as a mega lifeform?

 

"Gus Frederick speaks in terms of Gaia. In his view, Earth itself is an emerging mega-lifeform. It has reached a stage of adolescence in which its brain cells (humanity) have developed self-awareness and its sexual organs, in the form of human technological capabilities, are ready to procreate and make new Gaias on other worlds. Mars is the logical first child of Earth in this view."

Bueno Moksha: James Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis and Deep Ecology

 

edited to say i got this from the anime "Serial Experiment Lain"

[freeztar]

"James Lovelock, in collaboration with another eminent scientist, the microbiologist Lynn Margulis, first explained the Gaia hypothesis as such: "Life, or the biosphere, regulates or maintains the climate and the atmospheric composition at an optimum for itself." Inherent in this explanation is the idea that biosphere, the atmosphere, the lithosphere and the hydrosphere are in some kind of balance - that they maintain a homeostatic condition. This homeostasis is much like the internal maintenance of our own bodies; processes within our body insure a constant temperature, blood pH, electrochemical balance, etc. The inner workings of Gaia, therefore, can be viewed as a study of the physiology of the Earth, where the oceans and rivers are the Earth's blood, the atmosphere is the Earth's lungs, the land is the Earth's bones, and the living organisms are the Earth's senses. Lovelock calls this the science of geophysiology - the physiology of the Earth (or any other planet)."

 

Interesting ideas which probably wouldn't shock a pagan or pantheist, and leading to some interesting thoughts - how about the earth as as a mega lifeform?

 

"Gus Frederick speaks in terms of Gaia. In his view, Earth itself is an emerging mega-lifeform. It has reached a stage of adolescence in which its brain cells (humanity) have developed self-awareness and its sexual organs, in the form of human technological capabilities, are ready to procreate and make new Gaias on other worlds. Mars is the logical first child of Earth in this view."

Bueno Moksha: James Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis and Deep Ecology

 

edited to say i got this from the anime "Serial Experiment Lain"

 

Good stuff mate!

I've only met one person who has seen Lain before. :)

I think that movie/series sums up the issue pretty nicely.

[New-ideas]

I've never heard of that idea, but its a pretty cool way of looking at the world, I might have to look that up :)

[charles brough]

Sorry, I consider the Gaia hypthothesis a metaphysical dead end. Such an "organism" would have no genetic structure, no others to compare or compete with it, no central coordination, etc. Even people who say societies are organisms with telephone nervous systems, government as brains and railroad systems for circulation are being rediculous. It is all "feathers" with no scientific and hence predictive, hence practical value.

 

New_Ideas: Yes, we drifted away from the old religions and our secular ideology tried to replace them, but it is not a closed system of thinking with a definite plan, and how to reach it like all religions are. So, here in the States people are drifting back to the old faiths. That is why we have a religious minion in the white house. He is loading up our bureaucracy with graduates from an evangelical church law school. He has stacked the surpeme court.

 

look at HOME PAGE under EVOLUTION and under WORLD-VIEW SYSTEMS. There it is explained.

 

charles