An Analogy (Humans)
by George Jelliss 
, Crewe, Thursday, October 22, 2009, 10:41 (5302 days ago)
Did we get here by accident or by design?-I've just been listening to this week's "In Our Time" programme on BBC Radio 4 with Melvin Bragg. It was all about the geological evolution of the British Isles. It occurred to me that there is an instructive analogy between this and the evolution of humankind.-According to the three geologists on the programme, the British Isles is the most varied place geologically speaking on the face of the Earth. There is no other place to compare with it. Other places, even the whole of Canada, are boring by comparison. 
-In other words these islands are a jewel set in a silver sea, a place created from out the sea by divine command, a special piece of heaven on earth, and so on, as various patriotic poets have put it. This is also why Britain was the cradle of geological science.-However, how did the British Isles come about? It seems that Scotland and England began as separate parts of an old continent in the antactic region and through tectonic shifts have travelled from there to their present position. On the way they underwent enormously varied geological conditions.-Rocks in Wales were laid down at great depths in an antarctic ocean, coal beds resulted from the period when the midlands and south wales were on the equator and covered with forest that was repeatedkly flooded, chalk was the deposit of many marine lifeforms in a shallow sea, then there were volcanic periods and mountain-building periods when Scotland and England collided and were fused together. Later these were eroded by ice ages.-Clearly, the British Isles is such a special place that it must have been designed that way. Every move in the progress of this geological evolution must have been planned in advance. Every one was necessary to produce the final incomparable result. It represents the peak of geological evolution, gods own country, this green and pleasant land.-Of course I don't believe this, but you get the analogy?
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GPJ
An Analogy
by David Turell , Thursday, October 22, 2009, 19:52 (5302 days ago) @ George Jelliss
Did we get here by accident or by design? > > Clearly, the British Isles is such a special place that it must have been designed that way. Every move in the progress of this geological evolution must have been planned in advance. Every one was necessary to produce the final incomparable result. It represents the peak of geological evolution, gods own country, this green and pleasant land. > > Of course I don't believe this, but you get the analogy?-Wonderful analogy. I'm sure most of us know that the idea of tectonic plates, subduction zones, and continental drift was disputed for years and was finally settled in the middle of the 20th century. It is pretty obvious that the Eastern side of South America fits into the west side of Africa. I find the study of the British Isles quite fascinating.-I also have an analogy: -The Darwinian Brain-"Well you see, Norm, it's like this... A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Now, as we know, excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. And that, Norm, is why you always feel smarter after a few beers."
An Analogy
by George Jelliss , Crewe, Sunday, October 25, 2009, 16:54 (5299 days ago) @ David Turell
DT: I find the study of the British Isles quite fascinating.-I'm not sure that you have taken my analogy in the way I intended!-To spell it out, I doubt if the British Isles is any more distinctive, geologically or otherwise, in objective terms than many other places: Nepal, Great Rift valley, Yemen, Tierra del Fuego, Machu Pichu, Yellowstone Park, Sri Lanka ...? But since I live here I'm aware of the patriotic and poetic parochialism that would like to think that it is.-In the same way as a member of the human race I am aware of the way that human beings are liable to see their species as distinctive, biologically or otherwise, as compared with other species. Then again there are arguments about the Earth being a special place in the universe. I doubt the objectivity of these notions, though I have seen many arguments here in those directions.
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GPJ
An Analogy
by David Turell , Monday, October 26, 2009, 00:02 (5299 days ago) @ George Jelliss
> I'm not sure that you have taken my analogy in the way I intended! > > To spell it out, I doubt if the British Isles is any more distinctive, geologically or otherwise, in objective terms than many other places: Nepal, Great Rift valley, Yemen, Tierra del Fuego, Machu Pichu, Yellowstone Park, Sri Lanka-You should have included the Grand Canyon from my American standpoint. -> Then again there are arguments about the Earth being a special place in the universe. I doubt the objectivity of these notions, though I have seen many arguments here in those directions.-Actually I thought your analogy referred to divine design. Many things just fall together on Earth, but, as you know, I don't think life did. By the way Machu Pichu is magical when one is there, but it was designed. Cusco has many Inca built wonders. Especially, how did they move those stones?