Why man evolved so fast?
Don't you feel that something is missing here? 1 million years is a very short time in earth's history. Like the last few seconds if earth's history is compressed into 24 hours.
Is it possible that this was a simple cascading effect. Like a avalanche. one discovery leading to 100 more and these 100 leading 100 each.
Is it possible that this was a simple cascading effect. Like a avalanche. one discovery leading to 100 more and these 100 leading 100 each.
Why do we write?
For that matter why anyone writes? Simple answer would be because we like to share our thought, feelings, experiences. I think it is in our genes. We have survived because we shared.
Neanderthal, another branch of humans lived in Europe and were equal to Homo Sapiens in all respects. But in few thousand years they were overwhelmed by us and became extinct.
Scientists have not yet found the absolute answer but have found a possible clue which is fragile and shocking. It seems that superiority of Homo Sapiens lies in something as simple as sharing.
In different settlements of Homo Sapiens researchers found decorative artifacts that had similar patterns indicating that there was sharing of ideas among these prehistoric settlements. It made them more homogeneous. On the contrary Neanderthals lived in isolated groups.
Sharing proved to be our most potent weapon then. Every effort will surely not cause something as historic. But we possibly hope our little corner in this world will have better harmony and help it to survive and thrive.
Stars the creators of life.
Most of us now know of the fusion reaction going on inside Sun that creates the warmth that makes life possible on earth. If you want to have an idea of life without sun go to the poles. A little less sunlight and poles have frozen dead. Now think about a world without sunlight.
It's a very simple reaction inside sun. At around 15 million degrees, two hydrogen atoms combining to create a helium atom and releasing huge amount of heat and radiation(including light). This same reaction goes on within millions of stars in the universe. Once the supply of Hydrogen ends a star dies. Tragic but simple.
But it keeps one important doubt unanswered. We know that carbon is the basis of all plant and animal life. We can not survive without oxygen and some of us will not be very happy without their gold. If a star ends with helium where from do we get all these higher elements? Answer to that mystery lies in the death of a star.
A star goes out with fireworks. At the end of it's life it makes a futile attempt to hold on to its shell which expands to hundreds of times its original size. (Venus should be inside the Sun by then I think). but the moment the furnace inside Sun goes cold with last of hydrogen atom being consumed, this shell collapses inward at great speed due to the gravity.
This implosion creates temperatures to the degree of 100 million kelvin. At this temperature helium atoms start combining to form higher elements. First 12 elements including oxygen and carbon are created in multiple steps of expansion and implosion. At the end of these cycles the temperatures required to create next element can not be generated and Sun finally goes really cold.
With bigger stars than our sun these cycles continues to create first 27 elements up to iron. It is in the death of really big stars(at least 9 times the size of our sun) that extreme temperatures of 2 billion degree are generated for a brief period of few seconds to create higher elements including our beloved gold and silver.
This is called a supernova and happens approximately once in 100 years in a galaxy. This also explains why these elements are so scarce and hence valuable. Actually if we consider usefulness iron is most valuable to us.
Come to think of this, Those carbon atoms in your body were created in the unknown depths of universe even before Sun was created and will continue to roam the universe long after our sun and solar system is dead and devoid of any life.
Builders of tower complexes in my locality spend crores on cement, iron, glass and so many other materials. but when it comes to selling what do the best of them show mostly? They show trees, gardens, paths meandering along ravishing green lawns.
What are we buying? We want a reasonably good house of-course because we will be paying back that housing loan for next 10, 15 years. But we are also buying the promise of a good life.
Sunset
As soon as sun goes down people start leaving. They have patiently waited for the sunset but they can't spare even few minutes. That's the general behavior observed at so called sunset points at many tourist locations. Some don't want to get caught in the dark that will soon engulf them. Some are in a hurry to get to market area for shopping. Some want to avoid getting caught in the traffic jam that's created on the way out. Some just like to be first at everything.
Whatever the reasons there always is a big exodus immediately after sun sets. But if you truely observe next 15, 20 minutes are most magical. Sun is not seen but his farewell rays are coloring the sky in myriad colors of every hue. There is a strange calmness in the atmosphere. I always think that all the great guru's must have attained enlightnment at this time of the day.
This time makes you think about all the things that are hidden from us forever. Your previous incarnations, what is this whole universe thing around you, is there any purpose at all to all this creation and you. It is calmness with a faint hint of uneasiness.
It's not a experienc that you should let go.
A sunset seen from balcony of your house is best for this reason. You can sit and brood thus till the last rays disappear and stars start showing up. The transition is magical. even though you know that the sun is shining as brightly just beyond the horizon. You are in the shadow and looking at the darkness that permeates the whole universe. Our only beacon hidden from us.
