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5/26/2008

What it's like in MY mind

There is a level at which Annie and I come from two different worlds. Her concerns are at a very 'domestic' level and mine go off in many varied and different directions. These are things we know and understand about each other. In the last 31 years or so, we have evolved techniques for coping with the differences between us. Essentially, I think these deep thoughts and Annie makes fun of me until I come back to Earth. These are some of the things that I think about - once in a while:

Life on Earth began, according to some scientists, about 500,000,000 years after the formation of the Earth. And for 3,000,000,000 years after that, life was essentially singled celled. Why did multicellular life suddenly and irreversibly arise? Why did it take 3 billion years for whatever happened to happen? We won't go into why life evolved in the first place - oh wait, yes we will, sorta.

In the bible, the story of Adam and Eve says that Eve was created from Adam's rib. This story actually predates the rise of Jewish culture and comes out of Mesopotamia, most likely. If you consider that the story must have been told 5,000 years ago, it had to have been told in a context that the 'common' people of the time would understand. So, rather than say to these people, that when the first cell split, it set life on a course that lead to man, the story was set in allegory, and Eve was created from Adam's rib. The same allegorical method was applied to the creation story that shows up in Genesis. What I want to know, is who told these stories in the first place? Who was smart enough to know this stuff?

In Africa, there is a tribe that worships Sirius, the Dog Star. This tribe knows that Sirius is actually a double star. And it knows the period of the orbit of the small companion star, around Sirius. This small star cannot be seen except by the most powerful telescopes on Earth. The orbital period of the smaller star has only recently been determined by astronomers. The worshippers are right. How?

And there's all kinds of other stuff I like to wonder about - dreams, and their origins ... I wonder if this exotic 'dark matter' that science concerns itself with these days isn't a manifestation of extra-dimensional space - a 4th dimension which exists on a scale beyond our comprehension, yet physical 'stuff' in that 4th dimension may well exhibit gravitational effects in our three dimensional space ... I wonder at the complexity of the human body and have trouble believing that the way we are made is an accident and yet I absolutely refuse to become a Creationist. The only thing that makes real sense to me is transpermia. Once the first virus is found in space then the issue may well be settled. Especially if the DNA fraction of the space-born virus is recognizable - actually, all that spacer would need to have to settle this issue is DNA. Period.

That's what it's like between my ears. Sometimes. There's also family stuff and SEX and work and SEX and computers and SEX and Sports and lots of SEX.

If nothing else, I like to keep things interesting.

16 comments:

Allison said...

You make me think of my dad...

And me....

And my hubby (I think...:-S)....

All those odd things go through my mind too. My dad told me about string theory once. I didn't take much time to look at it, but it's interesting none the less. And I am a thinking Christian...I figure all these things that come up have to fit together somehow. It's not by accident...it was all for a reason...Evolution and "Creationism" can go hand in hand, and make perfect sense if you use one to fill in the blanks of the other, or blend the stuff together....

Like, I've heard so many times....our days are a speck in the timeline of God. So who's to say that life didn't take millions of years to form, where as it was a DAY in God's "life"?

But now I'm too tired to think. I've got to deal with some domestic stuff then get some shut eye and start all over again in 8 hours. :-)

Andreamuse said...

I like your deep thoughts! Keep on thinking. Not enough people do! :)

Rebecca (Ramblings by Reba) said...

Those really ARE deep thoughts.

Far deeper -- and more important -- than what I've been thinking about last night and this morning: American Idol winner David Cook... and why I can't get David Cook OUTTA my mind.

Oy... Seriously.

moneythoughts said...

Hi Lou,

Hope you had a nice holiday weekend.

Here in Greater Cincinnati, we have all the answers to your questions. :) We have the creationist park in Kentucky just down the river from Cincy. They have all the answers for some people. Then we have HUC-JIR, Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion. You can go there and study the bible, old or new testament. They have answers for another set of people. We have Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati and they have answers for still another set of people. We have so many answers in Cincinnati that we don't ask questions anymore. What our city newspaper doesn't provide us, we don't need to know. Don't want to get into trouble with the thought police. You would not get along in Cincinnati because you ask too many questions. In Cincinnati, questions are almost against the law because that means the answers may change. In Cincinnati, change is bad. Change implies that things are not perfect. Cincinnati is perfect, just read the Cincinnati Enquirer. They tells us how perfect things are under the Republicans all the time. So, when you get tired of asking questions, come to Cincinnati. Einstein never came to Cincinnati, and that should tell you something.

Fred

MommyTime said...

I love this post. I wonder about stuff like this too -- like how did people GET those stones arranged just so in Stonehenge? and how did Mayans know so much about astronomy and architecture that they could set up their temples to align perfectly with the sun and stars at particular points important to their beliefs? and so on. I love that other people think about these things too. It keeps the world interesting, don't you think.

Also, your comment on my prom post made me laugh out loud. Thanks for that!

Audubon Ron said...

Yes, knowing there are many stories in the Enuma Elish that are very similar to Genesis stories. The Epic of Gilgamesh also validates the flood. Pre-Genesis is the oral tradition. I got no issue with that. Mesopotamia and Abrahams origins in Ur are in roughly the same geography. At least, he didn’t come out of the land of Galapagos. Got no issue with that. With me, it’s like being a cow with ambition. Know what, today I’m going to be the very best cow I can be.

Alice said...

I'm fascinated by evolution and I would suggest (if you are interested at all) an easy to read book called "Your Inner Fish" that just came out by Neil Shubin. This old world and all its mysteries is a pretty interesting place.

www.ayewonder.com said...

Lou, I have random thoughts and you have deep thoughts. I think we both need to have a drink. Did you say SEX?

Momisodes said...

I love posts like this. I love peeking into other people's minds :)

I've pondered some of those same things. And I think Dadisodes has the same string of thoughts between his ears...minus the sports ;)

Unknown said...

Allison: Someday, we will either know all the answers or fade to black - one or the other.

Andreamuse: Thank you. Now i have to wonder - Is it just Annie that makes fun of me?

Rebecca: Oy. Not a problem for me, I'll tell you.

Moneythoughts: Fred, you crack me up.

Ron: Bull, Ron. You're the best BULL.

Alice: I'll have to look into the book. Then maybe I'll know why sometimes I feel like a minnow among sharks.

grandview: Yes. Several times. Over and over again. Which is how I like it. With girls. Just to be clear.

Sandy: Dadisodes sounds like my kinda guy - in a platonic sense, of course.

Loralee Choate said...

I know that I am up ALL night when I start thinking about the whole "There is no end and there is no beginning" thing.

Dude.

Unknown said...

My parents and brother and I are these kinds of thinkers. We spend HOURS during every single get-together cussing and DIScussing every angle we can get at. None of us has identical viewpoints and the debates are fantastic! It tends to drive our spouses/partners crazy. They sit back and roll their eyes and basically count the minutes until it's time to go home.

My brother and I have had discussions how one can be married to people who don't think deep thoughts the way we do. I've come to the conclusion that if there were 2 of us in this house thinking so much, nothing else would get done. Or the thought energy would be so great that the relationship and house would explode!?! SO, maybe that's the way it' s supposed to be.

Sometimes I think "There are these amazing things happening in this universe RIGHT NOW, and I'm worried about getting the trash taken out. What the HELL is wrong with this world?"

Excellent post! Now I'm so jazzed to give myself permission to THINK I'm shaking all over. Or maybe it's the fact that it's 50 degrees outside and I'm freezing. Either way.

Danielle said...

Have you ever heard about the Crystal Skull legend?

I guess this is the subject of the new Indiana Jones movie, and my husband and I just watched a Discovery Channel segment about it. I had never before heard of this legend, but it is very intriguing... I love to hear about different legends/ideas/perspectives/theories.

Unknown said...

mommytime: I am glad I could make you laugh. And yes, the Mayans. 2012 is coming.

loralee: That keeps me up, too.

hyphen mama: I KNEW there was something I liked about you. Besides the fact you're a girl.

Danielle: There are two schools of thought regarding those skulls: onesays "Real" the other says "Fake". Who knows?

Audubon Ron said...

Bull? See, I'm wreckless. There is no hope.

Old Knudsen said...

I did a post all about those skulls and its a load of bunk. The earth is only 5000 years old anything before that is Satan's work.

Weemen say men are a woman gone wrong as they are missing a leg off their chromosome but I think that the 'Y' chromosome is God finally getting it right.

If in doubt blame aliens.