11-30-2012, 10:52 PM
Image this (and that).
Looking up at night, everything that you can see is in The Milky Way. Image its mass. Now remember that this is only one of millions or more galaxies. Image that mass. Now then add in multiplier, unknown, to "add in" for everything else. That multiplier might be 10 to the nth power where n might be large. Image that mass. Now condense it all down into singularily, where its volume would be not larger than a grape. Image its density. In the history of time, that object is thought to have survived less than 0.001 seconds. So what was before? What was its age, assuming that time exists? If it was "always" there then time does not exist.
Image a cod. What determines what it will eat? Only the size of its mouth, which is wider than any other part of its digestive tract. For their benefit, they cannot taste.
Image an oak tree. Produces 50,000 acorns yearly. Image the energy cost placed into each one. Look at the survival rate. Multiply the survival rate, the number of acorns and the energy cost per acorn. You get a quantity. Divide it by the mass of the tree. This is a reproductive strategy called r-selection. Remember the number. Now image a human female. Produces about 30 offspring max per lifespan, or normally 1 max per year. Energy cost per offspring is high. Survival rate is high. Do all the math, the number is the same. This is called K-selection. Opposite ends of a reproductive continuum.
Image a box, it has a length (L), width (W) and a height (H). The position in the box can be described always by reference to the coordinates LxWxH It is three dimensional. Now image a niche occupied by an organism. It also has coordinates. It is called an n-dimensional hypervolume. Wonder why politicians can't understand why ecological policies don't work? The math is fascinating. Only a government pension plan actuarial table is more confusing. Read about it in the book "The Ecological Theatre and The Evolutionary Play".
Image a bar. Girls and boys there. There is a game of trickery being played. It is evolutionary trickery. The r-selected boys, with their numerous motile gametes, will pass their genes on the best (maximise their fitness) if they can breed with as many girls as possible. Mating with the "best one" does not diminish the chance of mating with any other. So is the reason behind the "bag over the head" discussion. The girls, being K-selected, maximise their fitness if the offspring survives, requiring nuturing and male support, so the females should be selective. The game, for males, is to cheat and convince the females that they are "the best", caring little what happens afterward. The cheaters win. The females, knowing that the males need not be selective, will cheat by appearing to be "available", trying to convince the males to "show them" how superior they are and that they are "available" , not necessarily requiring a commitment. So, next time you are in a bar, you will know why men spend too much money, make many promises, and never call back. ANd, when unsuccessful, will go home with anyone that can walk. And why women have painted nails, short skirts and long eyelashes. And cry when he doesnt call the next day. In the world of evolution, cheaters win as long as there are not too many.
Look at your lawn. Look at a well kept short mowed part. The dandelions are all on very short stems. Why? When the stems are long the mower cuts them off before the flowers go to seed. A poor choice to maximise fitness. Now look at another lawn, maybe a field. Not well mowed. Dandelions have long stems. Why? They need to grow tall to reach the sun; otherwise, they cannot mature. Short stems don't reproduce. This is evolution in front of you.
Quiz questions:
1. why to chihuahuas have long ears?
2. why do cats not break bones falling from great heights?
3. why do cold water arctic invertebrates reach greater sizes and live longer than tropical counterparts?
4. from what did the name "google" originate?
Over and out.
Looking up at night, everything that you can see is in The Milky Way. Image its mass. Now remember that this is only one of millions or more galaxies. Image that mass. Now then add in multiplier, unknown, to "add in" for everything else. That multiplier might be 10 to the nth power where n might be large. Image that mass. Now condense it all down into singularily, where its volume would be not larger than a grape. Image its density. In the history of time, that object is thought to have survived less than 0.001 seconds. So what was before? What was its age, assuming that time exists? If it was "always" there then time does not exist.
Image a cod. What determines what it will eat? Only the size of its mouth, which is wider than any other part of its digestive tract. For their benefit, they cannot taste.
Image an oak tree. Produces 50,000 acorns yearly. Image the energy cost placed into each one. Look at the survival rate. Multiply the survival rate, the number of acorns and the energy cost per acorn. You get a quantity. Divide it by the mass of the tree. This is a reproductive strategy called r-selection. Remember the number. Now image a human female. Produces about 30 offspring max per lifespan, or normally 1 max per year. Energy cost per offspring is high. Survival rate is high. Do all the math, the number is the same. This is called K-selection. Opposite ends of a reproductive continuum.
Image a box, it has a length (L), width (W) and a height (H). The position in the box can be described always by reference to the coordinates LxWxH It is three dimensional. Now image a niche occupied by an organism. It also has coordinates. It is called an n-dimensional hypervolume. Wonder why politicians can't understand why ecological policies don't work? The math is fascinating. Only a government pension plan actuarial table is more confusing. Read about it in the book "The Ecological Theatre and The Evolutionary Play".
Image a bar. Girls and boys there. There is a game of trickery being played. It is evolutionary trickery. The r-selected boys, with their numerous motile gametes, will pass their genes on the best (maximise their fitness) if they can breed with as many girls as possible. Mating with the "best one" does not diminish the chance of mating with any other. So is the reason behind the "bag over the head" discussion. The girls, being K-selected, maximise their fitness if the offspring survives, requiring nuturing and male support, so the females should be selective. The game, for males, is to cheat and convince the females that they are "the best", caring little what happens afterward. The cheaters win. The females, knowing that the males need not be selective, will cheat by appearing to be "available", trying to convince the males to "show them" how superior they are and that they are "available" , not necessarily requiring a commitment. So, next time you are in a bar, you will know why men spend too much money, make many promises, and never call back. ANd, when unsuccessful, will go home with anyone that can walk. And why women have painted nails, short skirts and long eyelashes. And cry when he doesnt call the next day. In the world of evolution, cheaters win as long as there are not too many.
Look at your lawn. Look at a well kept short mowed part. The dandelions are all on very short stems. Why? When the stems are long the mower cuts them off before the flowers go to seed. A poor choice to maximise fitness. Now look at another lawn, maybe a field. Not well mowed. Dandelions have long stems. Why? They need to grow tall to reach the sun; otherwise, they cannot mature. Short stems don't reproduce. This is evolution in front of you.
Quiz questions:
1. why to chihuahuas have long ears?
2. why do cats not break bones falling from great heights?
3. why do cold water arctic invertebrates reach greater sizes and live longer than tropical counterparts?
4. from what did the name "google" originate?
Over and out.
