Do you trust that people will be able to handle the responsibility of the great power of aging, and dying? I happened to come across a talk by Dr. Cynthia Kenyon, in video below (but different talk).
Basically, Dr. Cynthia Kenyon (Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of California at San Francisco) has experimented scientifically with simpler life forms, one species worms in particular, and has isolated two genes which control aging. The worms she used have under 1000 cells in total, their lifespan is 2 weeks, and they are transparent (C. elegans, a very small roundworm about the size of a comma). The genes present in the worms are also present in us (and in fruit-flies she also uses, and in mice).
My summary:
DAF-2 causes aging by inhibiting the good work done by DAF-16. DAF-16's role is to repair, etc, accessing genetic material in the nucleus of cells. DAF-2 represses DAF-16 which causes aging. Damaging DAF-2, she has discovered the fountain of youth by discovering the gene which inhibits the repairing "youth" gene, DAF-16. The worms she experimented on not only lived six times longer when DAF-2 was damaged, they also resisted great injury, and illness. The common illnesses of "old age", that a weakened organism will get, cancer, alzheimer's, heart disease were also not experienced. The implications were that we may be able to control the DAF-2 gene in humans (which is called something else, will look it up, possibly transcribe the entire talk), and then the DAF-16 gene already present in us would be able to do its good work and keep us youthful and strong alot longer. If old age were no longer present, we would go on fit and healthy until we expired, due to DNA mutations over time. Or we could get hit by a bus.
One man (with asmart jacket apparently, according to the host) had a smart question as well, about why nature hadn't already created a life-form which used this power to keep organisms young and healthy for longer. Now that was a good question. Dr. Kenyon's answer was that for one, the parent, once they had had their offspring, would be better gone as they competed with the children for resources (very relevant to humans). The other is that, perhaps a stronger worm was not necessary, as it was usually to be killed by a predator after a certain length of time.
My thoughts:
When she initially spoke, I noticed that she spoke with passion for the science of what she was doing-- passion for what she was discovering in life. At the same time, I noticed the classic disconnection of this scientific age of the intuitive awareness of the impact of her actions on the world.
Of course the discussion did come around to that. I was listening to a talk by Dr. Cynthia Kenyon on the radio the first time; I could hear awareness in the British professor host, concern for the implications of the research in his tone. He asked about the "social implications" of her work (meaning the impact on people). She first said that she was a scientist, stating the usual disclaimer of her field-- implying that the responsibility for her work was held by someone else specialized to make ethical choices. I ran into this separation all the time in university, by science in particular, my biology textbook stated in the very beginning that it answered only scientific questions, and other questions were reserved for a philosophy class. But when you are talking about deep things such as death, life, and so on, how can these be separated?
Her first personal response was to acknowledge that the Earth's resources were already suffering due to the pressures of overpopulation. Then she followed by saying that in China, where there are also thinking and feeling humans, they manage to use the 1 child policy. The host mentioned that it hadn't been such a great success before turning to questions from the students. I know that in China, there are many problems such as having to kill nearly term babies, or even that there are less girls, because they need a boy to carry on the family name-- so many girl babies are aborted. And the Chinese are sad about only ever being able to have one child.
Shane summed it up succinctly, as always (my husband), when he said that she was just going to carry on her work, and leave it to others to tell people to only have 1 child.
The hose suggested that it could be a solution to choose to not develop this science. Dr. Cynthia Kenyon was thrilled about the implications of her work, and said that although some countries would ban it, there would always be others who would be interested. (So it was going to go forward.)
Dr. Kenyon's thrill about discovering nature was not wrong in itself, but it is the lack of using the whole mind, and conscience, in particular the neglected intuitive mind, that creates a monstrous imbalance. If were were a society which appropriately managed our greater powers, distributing wealth and resources, and also could manage our impact on the environment, this new power could be considered. But are not managing ourselves at all-- that would require intuitive powers of balance. How can we pull the strings of nature even more without listening to her lessons also of balance? We learn what we wish to, and use it how we wish. It is really frightening.
A few days later:
You can't just think in a bubble - like Dr. Cyntha Kenyon with her anti-aging discoveries. Yes, nature is a marvel, but are you adding to the problem, or the solution in our world? Dr. Cynthia has essentially discovered a way to make overpopulation worse on our planet- there was a reason nature had struck that balance. Akinori Ito has used his life and abilities to help the world in which he has found himself.
PS - about anti-aging science and the whole science love affair in general, who wants to have power and control over everything? Then it no longer manages itself, it is just taking on more that we have to now manage and maintain ourselves. Our heart and many body functions currently operated autonomously. Taking over something that is currently managed by Nature is similar to saying No, I want to manage the beating of my heart consciously from now on.
Who wants that worry? (And responsibility.)
sustainable living blog
Showing posts with label controlling nature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label controlling nature. Show all posts
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Small Thoughts on Controlling Nature
One of the main reasons I wanted to start this blogs is that I am one of those people that is always thinking about life, and I wanted to record these observations that one makes from life experience.
I am only going to be able to remember these thoughts if I write them down as I think them.
"Man-made"
The desire men have to control nature is foolish, to take ownership of human invention, and to have an ego about the things we build or create. It is rooted in our animal self which drives our behaviour. How can we determine that what we create is better than nature, or more foolish still, independent of nature? We are a product of nature ourselves, grown and born from the womb. We are not separate, and any pattern we use or utilize-- any power we utilize, is a power of nature.
I am only going to be able to remember these thoughts if I write them down as I think them.
"Man-made"
The desire men have to control nature is foolish, to take ownership of human invention, and to have an ego about the things we build or create. It is rooted in our animal self which drives our behaviour. How can we determine that what we create is better than nature, or more foolish still, independent of nature? We are a product of nature ourselves, grown and born from the womb. We are not separate, and any pattern we use or utilize-- any power we utilize, is a power of nature.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Ideas
Hey everyone. I have wanted to post a blog for awhile. I have alot that is going to come out, but I am actually going to start it, and add to it as I remember and think of ideas. This blog is philosophical. There are alot of premises out there that are out there, not because we find them true as humans, as ourselves; but illusions from the larger culture.
Like, don't you find it strange that ads bombard us between the shows we like, until one day this strange event seems natural. Don't you think that instead of having messages designed make us feel weak, and to lead us to doing unhealthy things like shopping and spraying our pens with germ killer, we should have messages from people in our society designed to encourage and guide? We all know this. I think all young people feel this way. But what is less easy to understand, and takes a few years, is why our huge and complex society does this, and also how we used to be a long time ago. And how we don't need to be like this now.
How intuition and logic are intertwined in our culture, and in our culture how we have battled with these in "recent times" (last few thousand years), and how our thinking may have gotten unbalanced. From farming, to the massively rapid--in the blinking of an eye rapid--rise of the city way of life we lead today. A world of disconnection, of suspending part of our minds, a deep spiritual part, to become socialized.
But I am not even worried about it. This is because I am not trying to solve it with logic, or rationality (as they like to call this thought-strand). I can feel, and it feels right, as I see things in the world, I can see evidence of our culture experiencing an amazing renaissance. People are starting to awake from the long sleep of a self-induced nature, actually it was the dreams of their fathers and grandfathers.
When we became unbalanced, it has taken some time for balance to restore itself. Specifically, I "posit" that, as I gathered during my university years, there was a time when our culture discovered that the world was not flat. (The time of Copernicus vs. the Church.) Also, the Earth was not in the centre of the universe, but more like a dust mote floating in a vast room. Apparently people felt let down, like their intuitions had failed them. They wanted to not trust their intuitions, since the worldview they had felt, had been a lie. So the scientific method vowed to be a fair, unbiased way to explore the world, and find whatever other secrets could be found-- we would only believe what we could find proof to support. Unfortunately though, this led to a worldview myopic towards only believing that which could be tested in a physical way (they say "empirically").
That led to a non-logical response, but real all the same, of valuing what could be controlled in the physical world.
But our logical and intuitive minds are meant to work in tandem, the one keeping the other in check. There are areas which the logical mind needs to be dominant, and areas which the spiritual awareness needs to guide. Some examples where logical thinking should dominate are areas where conscious thinking is important, like how to do something cleverly in the world; you can't just feel around with intuition for every move, you are meant to use your brain. But for areas such as making ethical decisions, for doing what you are meant to do, there are times you have to trust the subconscious. Some things are actually too complicated, you won't know why logically it was important until later, or we just aren't capable of understanding with our limited animal minds. Such as, I believe that you can feel, at any time, if you listen and are open to the truth (which can be hard to want to know), whether you are going the right direction, or blocking something that would require going the difficult path (in the short term). If you are unhappy, have "cognitive dissonance", you go the wrong way until you break down and start "listening". If you listen, then your intuition will guide you to the best path for you, in the long run. If you're not strong, then it will guide you to a path where you will gather strength. This is because we are all connected in a spiritual, non-empirically testable way.
Does it feel right? You will know the answer. Is this really what I want to do? Have the courage to try asking yourself right now.
Anyways, why bother writing all this? Because it is clear to me that our world is very blind to its own true behaviours, and we need to turn on the floodlights on our own selves, on our cities, and our futures. Is this really where we want to go? Do we feel good about where we have gone? About our cities? All the concrete, and the strangely rushing cars? A world where we don't usually bond or talk to our neighbours, where that need to help each other, or be a part of each other's business that we have always had, is not there. Mostly, where we are being wasteful, and polluting etc etc. Like an earth with a failing kidney-- we can't clear the wastes, and there is no available dialysis. Life wasn't meant to be as "easy" or destructive. That is not how it has grown to its marvellous state of today (that wants to keep growing).
There are so many little points one could cut, like about how men take claim of ideas and inventions, that are all just natural processes. How odd. This is the thinking of an intuitive-strong mind (me, these comments). How people were never meant to be self-contained geniuses, or individuals. We aren't complete at all. We are meant to communicate with each other, and think as a group. Each of us have fragmentary consciousnesses and talents. I can think everyone in the world who doesn't understand what I understand is an idiot, and they will enjoy thinking the same of me-- it's a growing process to understand we really are all different, and are meant to help each other. It's the only way that humans succeeded.
From the caves of prehistoric times, when we "had nothing", but our schemes around campfire, strategically planning our hunting battles to gain control over the animals, to a time where we feel we are gods because we have consumed everything. We feel we are like birds, in airplanes that storm the sky. But the intuitive, gentle mind notices how rudely the jet-plane forces its way through the sky, having to use so much power to do it. (Perhaps not the light, less-wasteful planes.)
We need to balance ourselves now, and the revolution has already begun. It is so exciting! I see so many signs-- one is on TV, various formats of shows from news to fiction to reality shows--where I can see our society trying to understand spiritual mediums, and spiritual matters. We are trying to take this back into our understanding again. I see many people trying to make a change, and contributing to the world in a very exciting way.
Everyone will have a strength. I hope you find that strength, and use it. Because another thing I know, as an intuitive-strong person is that it's going to be close. The environment is the most important issue, will rise as the most important issue (well, it already has), but for every person. We are going to be going back and finding that amazing strength that we have as humans. We are going to start caring about who has survival skills for long--term--survival. As in for future generations.
Thanks, these are my theories.
Nonavee Dale
New Zealand
Like, don't you find it strange that ads bombard us between the shows we like, until one day this strange event seems natural. Don't you think that instead of having messages designed make us feel weak, and to lead us to doing unhealthy things like shopping and spraying our pens with germ killer, we should have messages from people in our society designed to encourage and guide? We all know this. I think all young people feel this way. But what is less easy to understand, and takes a few years, is why our huge and complex society does this, and also how we used to be a long time ago. And how we don't need to be like this now.
How intuition and logic are intertwined in our culture, and in our culture how we have battled with these in "recent times" (last few thousand years), and how our thinking may have gotten unbalanced. From farming, to the massively rapid--in the blinking of an eye rapid--rise of the city way of life we lead today. A world of disconnection, of suspending part of our minds, a deep spiritual part, to become socialized.
But I am not even worried about it. This is because I am not trying to solve it with logic, or rationality (as they like to call this thought-strand). I can feel, and it feels right, as I see things in the world, I can see evidence of our culture experiencing an amazing renaissance. People are starting to awake from the long sleep of a self-induced nature, actually it was the dreams of their fathers and grandfathers.
When we became unbalanced, it has taken some time for balance to restore itself. Specifically, I "posit" that, as I gathered during my university years, there was a time when our culture discovered that the world was not flat. (The time of Copernicus vs. the Church.) Also, the Earth was not in the centre of the universe, but more like a dust mote floating in a vast room. Apparently people felt let down, like their intuitions had failed them. They wanted to not trust their intuitions, since the worldview they had felt, had been a lie. So the scientific method vowed to be a fair, unbiased way to explore the world, and find whatever other secrets could be found-- we would only believe what we could find proof to support. Unfortunately though, this led to a worldview myopic towards only believing that which could be tested in a physical way (they say "empirically").
That led to a non-logical response, but real all the same, of valuing what could be controlled in the physical world.
But our logical and intuitive minds are meant to work in tandem, the one keeping the other in check. There are areas which the logical mind needs to be dominant, and areas which the spiritual awareness needs to guide. Some examples where logical thinking should dominate are areas where conscious thinking is important, like how to do something cleverly in the world; you can't just feel around with intuition for every move, you are meant to use your brain. But for areas such as making ethical decisions, for doing what you are meant to do, there are times you have to trust the subconscious. Some things are actually too complicated, you won't know why logically it was important until later, or we just aren't capable of understanding with our limited animal minds. Such as, I believe that you can feel, at any time, if you listen and are open to the truth (which can be hard to want to know), whether you are going the right direction, or blocking something that would require going the difficult path (in the short term). If you are unhappy, have "cognitive dissonance", you go the wrong way until you break down and start "listening". If you listen, then your intuition will guide you to the best path for you, in the long run. If you're not strong, then it will guide you to a path where you will gather strength. This is because we are all connected in a spiritual, non-empirically testable way.
Does it feel right? You will know the answer. Is this really what I want to do? Have the courage to try asking yourself right now.
Anyways, why bother writing all this? Because it is clear to me that our world is very blind to its own true behaviours, and we need to turn on the floodlights on our own selves, on our cities, and our futures. Is this really where we want to go? Do we feel good about where we have gone? About our cities? All the concrete, and the strangely rushing cars? A world where we don't usually bond or talk to our neighbours, where that need to help each other, or be a part of each other's business that we have always had, is not there. Mostly, where we are being wasteful, and polluting etc etc. Like an earth with a failing kidney-- we can't clear the wastes, and there is no available dialysis. Life wasn't meant to be as "easy" or destructive. That is not how it has grown to its marvellous state of today (that wants to keep growing).
There are so many little points one could cut, like about how men take claim of ideas and inventions, that are all just natural processes. How odd. This is the thinking of an intuitive-strong mind (me, these comments). How people were never meant to be self-contained geniuses, or individuals. We aren't complete at all. We are meant to communicate with each other, and think as a group. Each of us have fragmentary consciousnesses and talents. I can think everyone in the world who doesn't understand what I understand is an idiot, and they will enjoy thinking the same of me-- it's a growing process to understand we really are all different, and are meant to help each other. It's the only way that humans succeeded.
From the caves of prehistoric times, when we "had nothing", but our schemes around campfire, strategically planning our hunting battles to gain control over the animals, to a time where we feel we are gods because we have consumed everything. We feel we are like birds, in airplanes that storm the sky. But the intuitive, gentle mind notices how rudely the jet-plane forces its way through the sky, having to use so much power to do it. (Perhaps not the light, less-wasteful planes.)
We need to balance ourselves now, and the revolution has already begun. It is so exciting! I see so many signs-- one is on TV, various formats of shows from news to fiction to reality shows--where I can see our society trying to understand spiritual mediums, and spiritual matters. We are trying to take this back into our understanding again. I see many people trying to make a change, and contributing to the world in a very exciting way.
Everyone will have a strength. I hope you find that strength, and use it. Because another thing I know, as an intuitive-strong person is that it's going to be close. The environment is the most important issue, will rise as the most important issue (well, it already has), but for every person. We are going to be going back and finding that amazing strength that we have as humans. We are going to start caring about who has survival skills for long--term--survival. As in for future generations.
Thanks, these are my theories.
Nonavee Dale
New Zealand
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