Perspective

I really like my regular readers. They're quiet, that's ok. But they're totally worth it. So here's something that I wanted to share with them alone.

• America was formed in the 18th Century
• It nearly self destructed, in the 19th Century
• It rose to the status of Super Power in the 20th
• What holds, for the 21st?

• The internet been around for 16 years
• Broad public use of the net has been around for about 14
• The first generation to use it are now barely adult
• The second generation is in middle school
• Go anywhere 'text' has been around 18 yrs, usably 12
• The first text was sent in 1992, "Merry Christmas"
• "Social Networking" applications, 10 years

• The Term "Genetic Engineering" was coined in an SF Novel, 1951
• The following year, the double helix structure was discovered
• Genetic Engineering has been around for only 40 years
• The first genetically engineered organisms were plants
• In 2009 11 transgenic crops were being raised on the planet
• This year, 2010, the first genetically engineered organism was born
• Her name is "Synthia" and her father is Craig Ventner, and a Computer

All life has been erased from this planet eight times in the past. DiHydrogen Sulfide seems to play a major role in these extinctions - H2S is lethal to large, complex organisms - binding to oxygen receptors and causing us to suffocate. In small doses, it makes small animals hibernate almost indefinitely. These events seem to happen as a result of volcanic activity and/or another form of life on our planet fighting us for precedence (viral, for ex., or bacteriological) in light of cometary disaster or extraterrestrial event.

The common effect of zero G environment on humans is to drive them slightly mad. Our body structure does not allow us to remain healthy in space - we thrive in a 1 G field and fail somewhat in zero. Our planet is rapidly being depleted. This year, it was argued effectively by Physicist S. Hawking - that any contact between ourselves, and a space faring race - would likely happen in the context of predator/prey or resource depletion of our planet or our race.

You can likely travel forward in time, but not backward. And the universe is unutterably beautiful. One look at any major constellation, in full resolution. Is all it takes.

Life can be thought of as a quantum transformation. We remember vividly certain events, certain moments - we experience life during time of danger - as if it is occuring second, by second. But our time experience is not modified. Instead, our ability to process more data is expanded - we see, hear, and experience more - in times of danger. And we can think clearly during those times.

For my Colorless Green Readers. All seven of them. :)