I turned on King Kong somewhere in the middle so I could be entertained while folding some laundry and had some interesting insights. First, I was really surprised at the obvious lay-overs--what are they called? melding of two images. The line "No one will believe these aren't real" was hilarious. Then, do people survive if they get caught in the middle of an elephant stampede? How on earth did only 4 not live through a stampede of brontosauruses, in a narrow ravine, where they all ended up piling on top of each other? Seriously.
But the most interesting observation came when they switched over to the King Kong dude with the woman. I couldn't help but think as the big ape loomed over her that people think we descended from this species. How on earth did that happen? I'm guessing King Kong is probably a man, but still the phrase "Are you my mother?" came to mind. Seriously. As the book goes, when the object or being doesn't respond in the language of the baby, the answer is no.
I read or heard once that Adam and Eve were two of the most if not the most robust people ever to live--physically just about perfect, exactly what was needed to begin the human race. So, how could apes have progressed to a perfect physical state only to have the human form gradually become not so perfect? It just doesn't make sense. I'm definitely no biologist or great student of the possibilities of evolution. I remember reading some proven scenarios of survival of the fittest such among some butterfly species, but I'm not so sure that can really explain progression to the perfect state. Anyone? Something just doesn't add up.
Sometimes I'll write about my job, sometimes about my faith, sometimes about my hobbies, talents, miscellaneous interests. You'll see.
1 comment:
Heya Heidi;
I stumbled on this post and figured I might be able to clear this up... it would be nice to think that all that science schoolin' didn't go to waste.
People didn't evolve from apes; it's a very common misconception people have about evolution. What is more correct is that evolutionary scientists believe that primates and humans had an ancestor in common. It's more like we're cousins to primates. ;-)
So if you go back far enough, there is an animal that is a common ancestor for all mammals. Go back further, you will find one for all animals with a separate spinal column (notochords)... all the way back to sponges, which are currently considered the simplest animal. Most of the theory is based on form and development, with corrections when DNA evidence conflicts… sometimes, simpler forms pop up again.
From an evolutionary point of view, there is a very simple creature (that no longer exists) that all animals have as a common ancestor. So you could say that we evolved from a very simple creature (picture something like a sponge) and be much more correct than saying we came from apes.
If you're interested, Richard Dawkins is an excellent writer who explains very detailed evolutionary ideas in an accessible manner. Any of his older books ('The Blind Watchmaker', 'The Selfish Gene') explains evolutionary theory. 'The Ancestor's Tale' is a newer book (2004) and is huuuuuge but it deals more directly with the branching tree idea of common ancestry I fumbled with above.
Dawkin's more recent book 'The God Delusion' is more about secular humanism and atheism than evolution so if you’re just looking for the evolutionary science, the other one’s I’ve listed would fit better.
I enjoyed chatting with you and your extended family… hopefully, it won’t always be so long between visits. ;-)
Becky
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