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prohemp
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 Posted: 04/22/03 - 21:47 Post subject: Do you believe in the 'Gaia' theory?
i saw a program called 'Big Thinkers' - the subject was a planetologist named John Lovelock who proposed a theory that the Earth itself is a living being, and that all the creatures on it are like the cellular systems of you or me or any living thing that works to maintain the life of said organism.
His proposal suggests that without life itself regulating the various systems on Earth, the entire system would collapse.
He believes that Mars may have had life but lost this balance for some reason and it never returned.
The idea is that the Earth is living and that plants act as lungs, the oceans and rivers are the circulatory system, etc.
By that reasoning, we as humans could be considered a cancer in many respects.
I think that this is a spiritual idea, like the original origins of 'Gaia' ( The Spirit of the Earth), but rather a belief that we are actually a part of a larger, more intelligent system.
who knows...maybe Douglas Adams was right and we are the 'brain' of the planet?
Understanding just how complex a system of checks and balances there are on this planet that help maintain a living environment perching on a virtual needlepoint...it just seems to make sense.
As an example of just how delicate the system is, imagine how much different this planet would be if we moved 1000 miles closer to the sun.
Do you think there would even be life?
Some theories point to how resilient the planet has shown itself to be, repopulating itself even after massive extinctions and global disasters such as comet and asteroid impacts.
does this idea give you a fresh perspective on your existence or is it, like i personaly think, a load of BS?
What are your feelings on this idea if you are familiar with it or intrigued by it?
happy now Airhead?? 
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Cappy
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Posted: 04/22/03 - 21:56 Post subject:
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airehead
Oompa Loofah
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Posted: 04/22/03 - 22:00 Post subject:
yes, I am mucho happy now!
Although many times I feel these philosophical arguments are bunk, I love to sit and try to get my brain around them. It never fails to give me a new perspective on life--which always comes in handy.
Douglas Adams was a brilliant, hysterically funny author and hid in his humor many nuggets of interesting ideas.
Maybe rather than a cancer we are more of a symbiotic relationship--we keep each other going. We keep the earth going and the earth keeps us going--because we certainly have the potential to destroy the earth and vice versa.
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prohemp
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Posted: 04/22/03 - 22:01 Post subject:
| Cappy wrote: |  |
sorry gregg, i am not recognizing any non verbal responses tonight even though your emoticon includes narrative
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prohemp
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Posted: 04/22/03 - 22:03 Post subject:
| airehead wrote: | yes, I am mucho happy now!
Although many times I feel these philosophical arguments are bunk, I love to sit and try to get my brain around them. It never fails to give me a new perspective on life--which always comes in handy.
Douglas Adams was a brilliant, hysterically funny author and hid in his humor many nuggets of interesting ideas.
Maybe rather than a cancer we are more of a symbiotic relationship--we keep each other going. We keep the earth going and the earth keeps us going--because we certainly have the potential to destroy the earth and vice versa. |
i think the earth will live on long after the human race expires, becomes extinct etc - the earth didn't bat an eyelash after the dinosaurs bought the farm and she won't miss us
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Cappy
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Posted: 04/22/03 - 22:03 Post subject:
| prohemp wrote: | | Cappy wrote: | |
sorry gregg, i am not recognizing any non verbal responses tonight even though your emoticon includes narrative |
Theory is BS
is that better
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prohemp
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Posted: 04/22/03 - 22:04 Post subject:
| Cappy wrote: | | prohemp wrote: | | Cappy wrote: | |
sorry gregg, i am not recognizing any non verbal responses tonight even though your emoticon includes narrative |
Theory is BS
is that better |
start a thread - make the rules - that's the way it is, no>
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Erstwhile Lurker
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Posted: 04/22/03 - 22:05 Post subject:
Gaia is mother earth, the creator of all things. At first, she was only Earth, a daughter of Chaos (see Creation Myth). She was lonely, by herself until she met Uranus, the sky. The two soon fell in love and had many children. This is how Gaia became "Mother Earth."
Gaia gave birth to 3 hundred-handed-giants, 3 Cyclops, and Uranus. Gaia also gave birth to 6 Titans. The youngest of them was Cronus, who was once the ruler of all everything. Gaia told Cronus to kill his father in order to seek revenge on Uranus for locking up all her children except for the Titans. It was also Gaia who foretold the by his overthrowing of Cronus own son. (See "The Overthrow of Cronus" for details)
Uranus was the sky and he was the son of Gaia. His father is not known. Gaia and Uranus were the only ones in the world, so they got married and had many children. Uranus did not like most of his children, who were all very ugly, so he threw the ugly ones into Tartarus. The handsome ones were the Titans, who were allowed to stay on Earth. Gaia was very angry with Uranus so she made a sickle and ordered the Titans to kill him. Only Cronus agreed to, and when Gaia asked Uranus to come to her, Cronus hid nearby, waiting for the right minute. When Uranus came, Cronus cut him up into many pieces and threw all the pieces away. From the blood of Uranus came the Furies and some say Aphrodite. Before he was banished forever, Uranus predicted the Cronus would have a son who would over-throw him.
OK, here's the payoff for enduring that dry little tale:
Pronounce: Uranus
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airehead
Oompa Loofah
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Posted: 04/22/03 - 22:09 Post subject:
| prohemp wrote: | | airehead wrote: | yes, I am mucho happy now!
Although many times I feel these philosophical arguments are bunk, I love to sit and try to get my brain around them. It never fails to give me a new perspective on life--which always comes in handy.
Douglas Adams was a brilliant, hysterically funny author and hid in his humor many nuggets of interesting ideas.
Maybe rather than a cancer we are more of a symbiotic relationship--we keep each other going. We keep the earth going and the earth keeps us going--because we certainly have the potential to destroy the earth and vice versa. |
i think the earth will live on long after the human race expires, becomes extinct etc - the earth didn't bat an eyelash after the dinosaurs bought the farm and she won't miss us |
You know, you have a point. The earth won't bat an eyelash when/if the human race becomes extinct.
Do you agree that humanity has the potential to destroy the earth? Or is the earth so enduring that it would merely "heal itself" and go on?
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prohemp
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Posted: 04/22/03 - 22:12 Post subject:
| airehead wrote: | | prohemp wrote: | | airehead wrote: | yes, I am mucho happy now!
Although many times I feel these philosophical arguments are bunk, I love to sit and try to get my brain around them. It never fails to give me a new perspective on life--which always comes in handy.
Douglas Adams was a brilliant, hysterically funny author and hid in his humor many nuggets of interesting ideas.
Maybe rather than a cancer we are more of a symbiotic relationship--we keep each other going. We keep the earth going and the earth keeps us going--because we certainly have the potential to destroy the earth and vice versa. |
i think the earth will live on long after the human race expires, becomes extinct etc - the earth didn't bat an eyelash after the dinosaurs bought the farm and she won't miss us |
You know, you have a point. The earth won't bat an eyelash when/if the human race becomes extinct.
Do you agree that humanity has the potential to destroy the earth? Or is the earth so enduring that it would merely "heal itself" and go on? |
i think we can make the earth uninhabitable for "humans" but that the earth will continue to turn on its axis
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copteacher
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Posted: 04/22/03 - 22:14 Post subject:
Genesis 1 works good for me.
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prohemp
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Posted: 04/22/03 - 22:24 Post subject:
| rtpd113 wrote: | | Genesis 1 works good for me. |
"how long can you tread water?"
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copteacher
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Posted: 04/22/03 - 22:28 Post subject:
| prohemp wrote: | | rtpd113 wrote: | | Genesis 1 works good for me. |
"how long can you tread water?" |
I believe that is Genesis 8
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prohemp
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Posted: 04/22/03 - 22:32 Post subject:
| rtpd113 wrote: | | prohemp wrote: | | rtpd113 wrote: | | Genesis 1 works good for me. |
"how long can you tread water?" |
I believe that is Genesis 8 |
RIIiiiiiiiiiighhttt!!
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copteacher
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Posted: 04/22/03 - 22:34 Post subject:
Classic lines Tim
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