The Thinking Blog ~ Knowledge Grows When Shared!

The path of human evolution has been anything but a straight line from past to present. Much like a growing tree or a flowing river, branches and tributaries appear off the main trunk and either thrive, or taper off and peter out. When the game is survival of the species, evolutionary adaptations are mercilessly judged by nature, red in tooth and claw.

Evolution is also punctual in character. Change is often sudden, provoked by a beneficial mutation or a rapid change in the environment. When we look at the human family tree, all of the aforementioned trends can be seen. Neanderthal Man appears, thrives for a time in the glaciated terrain of prehistoric Europe, then fades out just as modern man appears on the scene. Further back in time, a plant-eating hominid called Australopithecus Boisei branched out from the main Australopithecine line. Robust in frame with huge teeth and mighty jaws, A. Boisei was perfectly adapted for lush, tropical conditions with abundant flora... until the climate changed and the flora died off. The gentle giants did likewise.

Specialized adaptations like the Neanderthal's ruggedness and A.Boisei's plant-eating were exceptions to the general trend of human evolution - that being an increase in brain size and a corresponding reduction in jaw size. This trend is coded in our genes, but is still subject to the influences of environment and mutation. This brings us to a group of skulls and skeletal remains found in the early years of the 20th century, in a part of South Africa known as Boskop. Could it be that in this isolated African backwater, a genetic mutation appeared that jumped human evolution ahead... not just by a page or two, but by several chapters?






One might think that a brainier, presumably smarter human population would make mincemeat out the local carnivores while out-competing any "normal" Homo Sapiens who ventured into their territory. Not necessarily. A sudden shift towards a futuristic physiognomy - without the accompanying societal, mechanical and technological framework needed to support it - would have left the Boskopoids much like babes in the woods. Balancing oversized heads on slim, gracile bodies, they would be at a pronounced disadvantage when running down prey - or running away from predators.

A scientific analysis of the Boskop fossils, "Big Brain: The Origins and Future of Human Intelligence," was recently published by Gary Lynch and Richard Granger, neuroscientists from the Dartmouth Brain Engineering Laboratory. A more poetic reflection on Boskop Man entitled "Man of the Future" was written in 1958 by science writer Loren Eiseley as a chapter of his larger volume, "The Immense Journey". It makes for intriguing reading, as the following excerpt indicates:

"The man of the future came, and looked out among us once with wistful, if unsophisticated eyes. He left his bones in the rubble of an alien land. If we read evolution aright, he may come again in another million years."

Was Boskop Man, a man out of time... stranded in a rough, predatory world without the tools needed to master it. Or is there another possibility, one which demands you open your mind to things that fly in the face of what we've so far taken for granted.

What if the Boskopoids not only survived, but thrived? What if they used their advanced intelligence to "leave the cradle", as it were. Where would they go? Well, the universe is a big place. If they left Earth for bigger and better things, one might assume they would leave as little trace of themselves as possible out of respect for their more primitive yet upcoming cousins - us.

All right, if you've taken this leap of faith, consider what it means and where it leads. Boskop Man suddenly appeared, used his big brain and superior intelligence to create a technology so advanced that it allowed them to leave the Earth entirely, but... would they forget the place of their birth so easily? Consider what a Boskopoid would look like: huge, rounded heads, big wide eyes set into small, child-like faces - sound familiar? To paraphrase FDR, "we have met the aliens, and they are us!"

I will admit, the curious combination of facts and speculation in this article read like something out of a sci-fi fantasy. It's much more likely that the remains of Boskop Man represent only a few members of prehistoric modern Homo Sapiens whose cranial capacities are at the far upward limits of the average. However - stranger things have happened and the current level of our archeological knowledge is by no means the be all and end all. The recent discovery of tiny "hobbit" humans on the Indonesian island of Flores is a perfect example. So keep an open mind, and remember... nothing is impossible, only improbable.

Article by Steve Levenstein from Inventor Spot. Submit your thoughts - click here!

Shown on the same scale as the Earth. LEFT: All the air in the atmosphere (5140 trillion tonnes of it) gathered into a ball at sea-level density. RIGHT: All the water in the world (1.4087 billion cubic kilometres of it) including sea water, ice, lakes, rivers, ground water, clouds, etc.

Nature Intelligence (NI) at work.

I'm also intrigued by the report that they seem to be using sonar to locate the vortex in the water, since that would be a fairly amazing bit of audio analysis.

9) Mount Fuji in Modern Art Culture

As an instantly recognizable symbol of Japan, Mount Fuji has been co-opted from time to time by companies such as Atari, who used a stylized Mount Fuji design for their logo:

In Japan, colorful paintings of Mount Fuji are often displayed in public baths, supposedly so that patrons can more easily achieve a sense of timeless relaxation as they soak away their cares. As well, the peaceful image of Mount Fuji is said to be a bringer of good luck - as long as it's not an image of it erupting!





8) Mount Fuji is a Sacred Mountain and is the Symbol of Japan

Mount Fuji is considered the sacred symbol of Japan.

Absolutely! The mountain's serene, unchanging image - unchanging except for the snowcap that comes and goes with the seasons - graces everything from public bath house walls to postage stamps to currency and more!



7) Mount Fuji is NOT one of the Tallest Mountains in the World

Not even close, although at more than 12,000 feet high it's the loftiest in Japan and one of the most famous peaks in the world. But "tallest"? Not by half... even two Mount Fuji's stacked one atop the other wouldn't match the height of Mount Everest. Even the world's tallest volcano, Mount Cotopaxi in Ecuador, surpasses Mount Fuji by over 7,000 feet. Mount Fuji only LOOKS extremely tall because it stands alone and is not surrounded by other high peaks like the Himalayas or Andes.



6) Mount Fuji isn't a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Why? Garbage, LOTS of garbage. Almost a third of a million people visit Mount Fuji each year and the climbing season is only 2 months long. Do the math... the infrastructure just can't handle the load. Waste, both organic and inorganic, is everywhere. Even worse, the beautiful forests surrounding the mountain have become a choice dumping ground for those seeking to avoid trash disposal fees - not to mention being a prime spot for committing suicide (roughly 30 per year).


A major, concerted cleanup is now underway. Included in the effort are new bio-toilets to replace the previous storage-tank models whose contents were simply emptied onto the mountainside at the end of each climbing season. Mount Phew-ji!


5) Historically, Mount Fuji has been Off-limits to Women

Like most high mountains in Japan, Mount Fuji was traditionally seen as an abode of the gods; a place where "unclean" women were forbidden to go. It wasn't until 1872 that the official ban on women climbing Mount Fuji was lifted, partially in response to a well-publicized ascent of the peak in 1867 by Lady Parkes, the wife of a British diplomat.


4) Mount Fuji is Privately Owned

Strange but true! But not to worry, neither a Japanese version of "The Donald" nor an absentee Middle Eastern prince lists Mount Fuji among his holdings. The uppermost portion of the peak belongs to the Fujisan Hongu Sengentaisha shrine, having been granted the title in perpetuity by the Shogun in 1609.

A Shinto priest at the shrine, Norihiko Nakamura, has categorically stated that "Mount Fuji is a mountain of the world, not an asset for individuals," thus allaying any fears that the shrine might restrict access to Mount Fuji's summit.


3) Mount Fuji is an Active Volcano

Officially designated as "dormant" (presumably to avoid panic), Mount Fuji last erupted 300 years ago. But... and that's a very big "but"... there's no reason to assume there won't be another.

In 1707, a vent opened on Mount Fuji's flank, spewing molten lava down the mountain's farmed & forested slopes while raining volcanic ash upon Tokyo (then known as Edo). The so-called "Hoei crater" from the 1707 eruption is still visible today and from some angles distorts the view of Mount Fuji's symmetrical cone.



2) What Would Happen if Mount Fuji DID Erupt?

With 10 documented eruptions since the 8th century, Mount Fuji has demonstrated a pattern of activity that worries many - notwithstanding the quietude of the past 300 years. Japanese government authorities have devised detailed plans to deal with a future eruption of Mount Fuji - an event that could cost the country upwards of $21 billion!


In a worst case scenario, nearly 8,000 people living near the peak would have to be evacuated and nearly 2,000 homes would suffer damage. That number would rise to around 11,000 if the eruption occurred in June, during Japan's rainy season. In addition, up to 12.5 million people would suffer adverse affects from fine particles of volcanic ash which would saturate the air.


1) Mount Fuji in Traditional Art - Tsunami Waves?

Colorful images of Mount Fuji in traditional woodblock prints have been admired for centuries. Among the most well-known are the "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji" created by the master printer Hokusai between 1826 and 1829. The pictured image, "The Great Wave Off Kanagawa", is perhaps THE best-known Japanese print and was a significant influence on many of Europe's great artists of the late 19th century.


Article by Steve Levenstein from Inventor Spot. Steve writes about weird and wonderful Japanese innovations on a regular basis and you can catch up on current & previous examples at his blog. Submit your thoughts - click here!

In medieval times elephants and horses were quite common in warfare but as times progressed military forces implemented other forms of experimentation with animals. Pigs were no longer set on fire to chase elephants but instead burned in 1959 to test the hypothesis of why soldiers’ thirst for fluids increased after receiving severe burns. In 1991, the U.S put a halt to its 8 year programme of shooting 700 cats dead in the hope of finding a cure for brain wounded soldiers. Cruelty to animals is not only unjustified but it is illegal because no being deserves to be tortured or killed to serve the hypothesis of an experiment.


In the light of this situation, governments have now decided to abide by the ASPCA stance where ‘Military animals should be humanely trained and responsibly maintained, and commitment to the animals’ well-being must extend beyond the period of military service.’ One example is the Dolphin Programme that was started during the Cold War. Military officials explained that the Dolphin Sonar was more advanced than any other Sonar and could be used to detect Soviet ships. Recently, however, dolphins have been equipped with hypodermic needles attached to their snouts so that they can inject into divers in restricted areas. Once injected, an illegal diver’s body would literally turn inside out due to an intake of Carbon Dioxide. Not only does this make a murderer out of an oblivious mammal but it also means a manipulation of dolphin instincts in the name of serving the wreckless causes of humanity.


In earlier decades dogs were most commonly used as war mine sniffers but their services are no longer required due to increasingly high death rates among dogs who were considered ‘too heavy.’ As a solution to such accidents a Belgian company engaged in training African pouch rats to search for food in locations of explosive material. As a result the rats were lighter and they were not harmed due their light body weight. Currently they are being used in Mozambique to clear the landmines left from a civil war. Indeed this is the only project where animals are used to fix the plight of humanity. For the first time rats have cleaned their bad reputation and now serve as saviours of humanity.




Animals should not be trained to contribute in war but to guide us humans into a world of peace and recuperation. Don't you agree?


This article was written by Extrememo from Through the Eyes of Bipolarity. Sources: 1, 2, 3. To submit your thoughts - click here!