Thoughts over Collapse
I had finished reading this book a long time but it was such a thought provoking book that I went on and read all the other books by Jared Diamond. His first book "Fall of third chimpanzee" was on human evolution. Then, there was "Why sex is fun", though title may initiate different dreams but it was perfect for a topic such as sexual evolution of human beings. Then comes another jewel, "Guns, Germs and steel", which covers the next step of human evolution, soical evolution, difference in development of different societies scattered in different continents. If that was not enough, latest one "Collapse" covered the subject of future prediction of our civilization based on past examples. Though past keep on repeating on itself but still their is a probability that end may differ. Future is unpredictable with infinite opportunities and unimaginable scenarios to contemplate. Still, rationality says that with current path certainly leads to the past, not to the future.
After finishing this series, I supplimented my diet with "Shadow of forgotten ancestors" by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan. It was again on the same topic of human evolution. The way Sagan build the argument is really breath taking. He covers all the evidences, examples and their different interpretations, then in conclusion finsihes off with his theory. It leaves no doubt on his topic, as well it doesn't leave anyone out of argument. It appears more of welcome dual. This was followed by another Sagan's book "The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence". It was having more scientific arguments than any of the previous books and more insightful. After finishing this, I was forced to buy Charles Darwin's books. Though, I still have to finsih them, I took a small break and ended up with a small book named "Ice age" by John & Mary Gribbin. After digesting all the human evolution, development of sexual and rationality with the topping of imminent danger of natural catastrophe due to global warming, it was heart breaking to let my toppings go away. Toppings just melted of as suggested by author of frozen poles.
Some atoms started the journey, joined some others become molecules. Group is always powerful than individual. Molecules clubbed together to become a self replicating complex. Complex resulted in sprouting unicellular beings. They flourished in the monopoly of species for millions of years. Competition, change in climate forced them again to join forces and form floating colonies of algae. This was again, had drastic effect on earth's atmosphere. We had a toxic gas polluting the environment of this calm world. Competion made these beings to devour each other. Not so tasty, but it was dog eat dog world then. Some survived, developed hard shells around them which was to protect from radiation as well breaking the enemy's teeth. Their armor became their curse. Slow were again devoured by the faster beings, nowadays we call them fish. One whole tribe goes off the chart and other takes over. War was still heating up as well earth. Land become heaven for some smaller beings which were slow due to their body structure. Some colonies moved on earth and put their roots to never let it go. Again monopoly over land gave them unhindered opportunity to grow large and giants. Dinosaurs evolved, slow, giant veggies, ruling over whole land. Competition saw to it that they turn to some high protein diet. Result was some large & mean killing machines. Now, their territory expanded to sea then air. Millions of years they enjoyed this luxurious home which was on a rock standing third from a yellow star. The rock, always spinning, wobbling, rotating got fed with heat and again turned to its cold ways. Now, comes the surprise, as species before dinosaurs also faced the same destiny and perished. We still argue, it was a meteor, supernova or just cold but it was just another failed experiment of mother earth. Some even say, god in the shape of aliens destroyed them with their highly sophisticated ammunition. Imagination doesn't have any boundary. We speculate, proof if exist is lying somewhere under the earth's crust. Till now, iceage explains it much better than any other theory put. Dinosaurs died not a sudden death but perished in slow recurring ritual of earth's history. They ruled the warm days but nights were for shining eyed small mammals. As the days got colder, dinosaurs having low temperature metabolism become lazier and lazier. Its same as some animals go to hibernations in winters. Thats the time for kill and who better hunters than small furry night predators. These we call mammals. They feasted on giants, hiding in trenches or dark places in daytime. Thats the competition, being huge and successful for a long time doesn't mean that you can carry it on and on. There were some dinosaurs who were out of reach of these blood hungry hunters but as time came they were alone. Adaptation took its toll, it made some of them suited to this cold weather with feathers. Birds, flying high, survived with some size reduction. We still have commodo dragons to have a look how those mighty dinosuars looked like.
Party was over for furry beings also as giants finished. They had to come out of their trenches and took hold of their kingdom. It was a sight to behold but time just can't stop. Vampire adapting to new climate spread, fought and exterminated some of their mates. Some grew larger, not as same as their old diet. These mammals were having huge variety, which made them most adaptable to the continuously changing earth's climate. Then come the day when one four legged animal started walking on two, using the other two as hands. Stones, wood, metals started taking different shapes and were used to kill others brutally. Groups formed to survive these fights. Technology evolved to gather their food faster. Food doesn't have any name and survival is the only thing that matter. New ruling dynasty, had a little more than that. They developed their language and strated their reign with extinction of some other species. Competition again got better of them, and they started spreading and killing each other. Better always have the throne till someone topples him. They divided their region, fought for their territory, used different tacts to destroy their enemies. In this mayhem, some got luxury of pondering over all their history and their place in it. Some of them devised god and made their living. Some used it to bind a group with faith. Some used it as a permission to kill other. Depending on the use, different gods originated and worshipped to. Explaination of origin and myth gelled together with imagination and gave a huge number of stories. These two legged, featherless and brutal mammal were called humans. They were happy with their explaination and believed in their faith which they called religion.
Some still had the luxury to denounce the god, doubt the faith and argue. It was natural, more heavier and complex the head, more things to ponder. So, some used rational thinking to justify their killings, which led to futher scrutiny and led to debates. Here, came the realisation of ignorance. Faiths again kept on crumbling and forming afresh. Development caught pace as thinking developed, language also developed with written forms. Humans, using their two hands and big head to carry on their shoulder took control of entire earth and even took short visits outside their cosy home called earth.
Time still continue to march on. Rocks keep on their pace till they collide with some other or devoured by the fire of dieing stars. A negligible span in the history, look upon the stars with hopes of future which have existence of all without the spreading their bloods.
I had finished reading this book a long time but it was such a thought provoking book that I went on and read all the other books by Jared Diamond. His first book "Fall of third chimpanzee" was on human evolution. Then, there was "Why sex is fun", though title may initiate different dreams but it was perfect for a topic such as sexual evolution of human beings. Then comes another jewel, "Guns, Germs and steel", which covers the next step of human evolution, soical evolution, difference in development of different societies scattered in different continents. If that was not enough, latest one "Collapse" covered the subject of future prediction of our civilization based on past examples. Though past keep on repeating on itself but still their is a probability that end may differ. Future is unpredictable with infinite opportunities and unimaginable scenarios to contemplate. Still, rationality says that with current path certainly leads to the past, not to the future.
After finishing this series, I supplimented my diet with "Shadow of forgotten ancestors" by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan. It was again on the same topic of human evolution. The way Sagan build the argument is really breath taking. He covers all the evidences, examples and their different interpretations, then in conclusion finsihes off with his theory. It leaves no doubt on his topic, as well it doesn't leave anyone out of argument. It appears more of welcome dual. This was followed by another Sagan's book "The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence". It was having more scientific arguments than any of the previous books and more insightful. After finishing this, I was forced to buy Charles Darwin's books. Though, I still have to finsih them, I took a small break and ended up with a small book named "Ice age" by John & Mary Gribbin. After digesting all the human evolution, development of sexual and rationality with the topping of imminent danger of natural catastrophe due to global warming, it was heart breaking to let my toppings go away. Toppings just melted of as suggested by author of frozen poles.
Some atoms started the journey, joined some others become molecules. Group is always powerful than individual. Molecules clubbed together to become a self replicating complex. Complex resulted in sprouting unicellular beings. They flourished in the monopoly of species for millions of years. Competition, change in climate forced them again to join forces and form floating colonies of algae. This was again, had drastic effect on earth's atmosphere. We had a toxic gas polluting the environment of this calm world. Competion made these beings to devour each other. Not so tasty, but it was dog eat dog world then. Some survived, developed hard shells around them which was to protect from radiation as well breaking the enemy's teeth. Their armor became their curse. Slow were again devoured by the faster beings, nowadays we call them fish. One whole tribe goes off the chart and other takes over. War was still heating up as well earth. Land become heaven for some smaller beings which were slow due to their body structure. Some colonies moved on earth and put their roots to never let it go. Again monopoly over land gave them unhindered opportunity to grow large and giants. Dinosaurs evolved, slow, giant veggies, ruling over whole land. Competition saw to it that they turn to some high protein diet. Result was some large & mean killing machines. Now, their territory expanded to sea then air. Millions of years they enjoyed this luxurious home which was on a rock standing third from a yellow star. The rock, always spinning, wobbling, rotating got fed with heat and again turned to its cold ways. Now, comes the surprise, as species before dinosaurs also faced the same destiny and perished. We still argue, it was a meteor, supernova or just cold but it was just another failed experiment of mother earth. Some even say, god in the shape of aliens destroyed them with their highly sophisticated ammunition. Imagination doesn't have any boundary. We speculate, proof if exist is lying somewhere under the earth's crust. Till now, iceage explains it much better than any other theory put. Dinosaurs died not a sudden death but perished in slow recurring ritual of earth's history. They ruled the warm days but nights were for shining eyed small mammals. As the days got colder, dinosaurs having low temperature metabolism become lazier and lazier. Its same as some animals go to hibernations in winters. Thats the time for kill and who better hunters than small furry night predators. These we call mammals. They feasted on giants, hiding in trenches or dark places in daytime. Thats the competition, being huge and successful for a long time doesn't mean that you can carry it on and on. There were some dinosaurs who were out of reach of these blood hungry hunters but as time came they were alone. Adaptation took its toll, it made some of them suited to this cold weather with feathers. Birds, flying high, survived with some size reduction. We still have commodo dragons to have a look how those mighty dinosuars looked like.
Party was over for furry beings also as giants finished. They had to come out of their trenches and took hold of their kingdom. It was a sight to behold but time just can't stop. Vampire adapting to new climate spread, fought and exterminated some of their mates. Some grew larger, not as same as their old diet. These mammals were having huge variety, which made them most adaptable to the continuously changing earth's climate. Then come the day when one four legged animal started walking on two, using the other two as hands. Stones, wood, metals started taking different shapes and were used to kill others brutally. Groups formed to survive these fights. Technology evolved to gather their food faster. Food doesn't have any name and survival is the only thing that matter. New ruling dynasty, had a little more than that. They developed their language and strated their reign with extinction of some other species. Competition again got better of them, and they started spreading and killing each other. Better always have the throne till someone topples him. They divided their region, fought for their territory, used different tacts to destroy their enemies. In this mayhem, some got luxury of pondering over all their history and their place in it. Some of them devised god and made their living. Some used it to bind a group with faith. Some used it as a permission to kill other. Depending on the use, different gods originated and worshipped to. Explaination of origin and myth gelled together with imagination and gave a huge number of stories. These two legged, featherless and brutal mammal were called humans. They were happy with their explaination and believed in their faith which they called religion.
Some still had the luxury to denounce the god, doubt the faith and argue. It was natural, more heavier and complex the head, more things to ponder. So, some used rational thinking to justify their killings, which led to futher scrutiny and led to debates. Here, came the realisation of ignorance. Faiths again kept on crumbling and forming afresh. Development caught pace as thinking developed, language also developed with written forms. Humans, using their two hands and big head to carry on their shoulder took control of entire earth and even took short visits outside their cosy home called earth.
Time still continue to march on. Rocks keep on their pace till they collide with some other or devoured by the fire of dieing stars. A negligible span in the history, look upon the stars with hopes of future which have existence of all without the spreading their bloods.
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