Nov 28 2009
Three Quick Hits: Fly Emotion, Monkey Dating, and Sun Worship
1) Caltech researchers have found that fruit flies, of all things, engage in “emotion-like” behavior.
In their Neuron paper, the Caltech team—led by postdoctoral fellow Tim Lebestky—found that a series of brief but brisk air puffs, delivered in rapid succession, caused flies to run around their test chamber in what Anderson calls a “frantic manner.” This behavior persisted for several minutes after the last of the puffs. [source]
True, the fruit flies didn’t shed tears. But how else could emotion-like behavior be noted and measured in this species? BTW, the like is essential for maintaining a scientific attitude.
2) Okay, monkeys don’t really “date.” But how do they choose mates? What is attractive to them: A nice head of hair, big, brown eyes, pouty lips? Certainly it wouldn’t be a shapely derriere, for only we bipedal apes have such fully developed gluteus maximus muscles. It seems that as with humans, part of what makes one monkey attracted to another is . . . scent. As to why: an individual that smells different likely has different genes. And different genes mean healthier offspring.
Although it is not entirely clear how the females work out whose genes complement theirs, the researchers believe it might be done through smell. Monkeys know their own body smell, which is partly determined by their genes. They will sniff out the males whose body odour is different giving an indication that their genetic make up is likely to be unlike theirs, say the scientists. [source]
Hmm. The next time I tell my wife why I love her, should I include, “And it probably has something to do with your smell. You smell different.”
When lovers “nuzzle up” to one another, nose at necks (where blood flows close to the surface), are they inhaling clues about one another’s genetic make-up?
3) Ancient Greeks on the island of Sicily worshipped the sun, directly or indirectly. How do we know?
Dr Alun Salt, an astronomy technician from the Centre for Interdisciplinary Science at the University of Leicester, found that out of all the temples he surveyed in Sicily, all but three [of dozens] faced the rising sun. [source]
Worshipping the sun seems to me the most sensible of all religions. We know for a fact that life would be impossible without it. And forget about getting tanned at the beach.
You are so right, and to the Greeks you can add the Sumerians, Chaldeans, Egyptians, Romans, Maya, Inca, Aztec, Celts, Norse, Khmer, and just about every other culture on the planet.
Those loving rays make us feel good for a reason and once, wherever you went on this planet, people knew the Sun as a living being of high consciousness. I felt the same way as you, and eventually launched into a book that explores this understanding in the light of modern solar science. You’d me amazed at how much the science supports this idea and at where the idea takes you when it is explored. You can link into my book at http://www.sunofgod.net or just google “sun of god” – I think you’ll enjoy it.
Gregory Sams