Re: [Paddlewise] Natural Selection at Work

On 26/01/2010 2:16 PM, Craig Jungers wrote:
> Really, the theory of natural selection just makes so much sense.
>

<snip>

>
> Well.... wouldn't you know it but the kids jumped all around over there and
> then, tired and wet, they crossed back over the lake ice to my side and
> disappeared up the shoreline. I never did get to try out my plan. Apparently
> the main ice is still thick enough to support two kids working hard to break
> through it. I hope they don't try it every week. My wife had my camera in
> her car at work so I couldn't take pictures either.
>
> I'm guessing Darwin will catch up to them.
>
>
> Craig Jungers
> Moses Lake, WA
> www.nwkayaking.net

I suspect that we've all -- I know I have -- managed to escape serious 
injury or even death at one time or another and been barely aware of 
the fact that I was in any danger. There are probably times when I 
escaped to live another day and never even knew how much danger I was 
in. Or that I was in any peril at all.

Sometimes it's just a brief moment of inattention. Sometimes it's a 
complete lack of knowledge.

I once read that the area of the brain that deals with planning ahead 
and thinking of consequences was under-developed in humans until about 
the age of 19 or 20. If that's true, it is remarkable that so many 
kids survive at all.

Of course, some adult humans have a badly under-developed sense of 
consequences too. Like the fellow who walked out in front of a Toronto 
streetcar while listening to his mp3 player. Never looked; never 
hesitated. The streetcar left the scene in good working order; the 
pedestrian didn't. But you could have guessed that.

-- 
   Darryl
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