12 DEC 2017 by ideonexus

 Wheat Domesticated Homo Sapiens

Think for a moment about the Agricultural Revolution from the viewpoint of wheat. Ten thousand years ago wheat was just a wild grass, one of many, con
Folksonomies: artificial selection
Folksonomies: artificial selection
  1  notes
 
22 JUN 2012 by ideonexus

 The Beauty of Being Ancestor to an Ape

Man is no new-begot child of the ape, bred of a struggle for existence upon brutish lines—nor should the belief that such is his origin, oft dinned into his ears by scientists, influence his conduct. Were he to regard himself as an extremely ancient type, distinguished chiefly by the qualities of his mind, and to look upon the existing Primates as the failures of his line, as his misguided and brutish collaterals, rather than as his ancestors, I think it would be something gained for the et...
Folksonomies: evolution meaning purpose
Folksonomies: evolution meaning purpose
  1  notes

Is the ancient nature of our existence, and the ability to see ourselves as superior to other primates in mental function.

08 JUN 2012 by ideonexus

 The Exponential Complexity of Man

We can see that there is only one substance in the universe and that man is the most perfect one. He is to the ape and the cleverest animals what Huygens's planetary clock is to one of Julien Leroy's watches. If it took more instruments, more cogs, more springs to show or tell the time, if it took Vaucanson more artistry to make his flautist than his duck, he would have needed even more to make a speaking machine, which can no longer be considered impossible, particularly at the hands of a ne...
Folksonomies: machine mechanics
Folksonomies: machine mechanics
  1  notes

Using automatons made to resemble ducks and the task of building one to resemble man.