The Purpose

I am on the fourth floor of USC’s Levey Library. I look out the window to my right; I face the south – I see the Aerospace Museum, MacArthur Quad and much of the USC campus with its summer-school students - they look like ants at this distance.

I look again, and this time, I see a world devout of meaning but with a purpose – a utilitarian purpose. I see that every atom that we lay our hands on is put to use. The trees are planted, aligned and trimmed to efficiently provide greenery to the campus, oxygen to the city and shade for the students. The grass lawns are cut and watered daily to remove the feeling of claustrophobia in an urban environment. The red rock of a San Diego query has been cut into identically shaped blocks and placed on the ground with a repetitive pattern to soothe our obsessive compulsive personalities.

Granted, this is not actually bad, I at times enjoy the look of my campus – it really does remove the feeling of claustrophobia brought out by the city. But it’s the omnipresence of this feeling that bothers me. Everywhere, nature is harvested and given a purpose to serve us humans. National parks are no longer just “nature” – they are locations for people to escape the stressful urban environment in a “pseudo-natural” manner. Fruits, vegetables, and animals are no longer creatures that roam this land, they are our nutritional requirements – we farm them – we use them. And now, humans are taught in schools, colleges and academies to further our evolution – to be used as machines.

All of this is done by man and none of it is done the way nature intended it to be.

Before, there was an anarchic beauty to the world, things that were needed, existed, things that were not, did not.

Is this wrong? I honestly don’t know.

The Consciousness of the Subconscious

I am a shepherd with a growing flock. That young mongrel mutt of mine, the one I’ve spent so long training, he’s ran away. I find myself alone with the little that belongs to me using all my power to keep it. I know he’s just sitting at a distance beaming at me – laughing. He will come back when he’ll be ready, I won’t push him or punish him when he returns.

I herd these sheep – I love my doing. I love that I have nowhere to come home to. Am I lying to myself? Sleeping amongst the stars, the recurring dream wakes me often. It seldom varies in its ambiance. It’s always same, the realization, the feelings; they all surge at me when I wake. Why can’t I think in my dream? Dreams are thoughts after all. I suppose what makes a dream so beautiful is the absence of our obscene associations – that obscene consciousness that is created by society – that which we are born without.

I float on a raft on foggy waters. I paddle hard with my hands. All to naught. I move slowly – no worries of hitting an unseen object – this is the void. The fog is comforting – almost cozy. Sometimes, the fog may disappear entirely in the blink of an eye, and in such, all I see is more stagnant waters. I learn I am in a calm, stale sea with no land in sight – just water, all else is mirages I think to myself. I sometimes see more fog ahead, perhaps it hides another raft... perhaps these waters are infested with wondering souls. An illusion? Perhaps this is a world of likely beings all floating on a desolate planet of pure water. Perhaps we aren’t even beings. Perhaps I’m one of the few that has no cozy fog. Perhaps I know nothing.

Accepting the world outside the fog is not comforting, and worst of all, each time the fog returns, it becomes denser and the coziness weakens. What of a life of such? It’s simple. Every human being will find a niche in any world. They will either meet another raft (continuing to drift, but now in company) or they will find a part of the fog that satisfies them for some absurd reason only logical to them. Some may manage to emerge, close their eyes and drift forever in hopelessness for every rafter knows in his soul the promise of unseen land. That is why we paddle and do not dive off.

Only those who are mad enough to seek land underwater find it – bliss awaits them.

And here I am, just sitting waiting for my dog...

The Gull

Overt your eyes, you gazing flock, for I despise and dread you.
Deceiving eyes attempt to mock the lackings of your stale brew

A fish, a bird, a sea, a dive, you live a seagull’s life
And little interests is to me the sound of your small fife.

My intellect may speak to me but eyes can see, can feel.
Alas I may not prove myself to freedom that I will

And so, today, I gaze at you as you may spread your wings
A flap, another, off you soar to see what morrow brings.

Diesel Love Vs. Love Electric

Diesel Love

As you are probably well aware of now, I've been obsessing over Diesel engines recently since they are, in my personal opinion (and facts will back me up on this), the best small combustion engines you can have (efficient, powerful, reliable). To give you a little taste of diesels, here's a little comparison of Diesels with Gas powered engines* (sources vary the numbers):

	Gas	Diesel
Energy Efficiency rating	20%-30%	25%-45%
Energy Density of the Fuel	150k BTU/Gal	166k BTU/Gal
AVG DIST on Engine Lifetime	200k miles	350k miles
AVG Cost of 98 E320 Mercedes	$8k	$18k

*150k BTU/GAL for biodiesel and 100k BTU/GAL for ethanol (these are Imperial Gallons). Averages based on experience and personal research (the rest you can find anywhere online).

There is only a single disadvantage to diesels, and that's the Horsepower (the torque is far superior to gasoline engines though). This renders diesel engines poor for sports use (max speed is lower than for gasoline engines).

In short, the engine is amazing.

But wait, there's more. Diesels can run on biodiesel (here's info on why this the best thing since sliced bread - which I make). If you don't feel like reading that page, here's the gist of it: it reduces emissions, it is more efficient, it is easy to make and it can be made from algae (which thrives on CO2 and NO gases - filtering them).

'nough said.


Love Electric

Well, electric engines, are completely different from combustion engines; they are quiet, have a very high range of RPMs, can be easily repaired, have absolutely zero emissions and have a nearly flat torque and power curve (great for racing). The only issue is that the technology has not quite reached the level necessary to market it on a global scale and it requires the evolution of other technologies that have not yet been invented (fusion) in order to make it truly ecological and worthy of our use.

Hydrogen powered, fuel cell vehicles are conceptually great because they have all the benefits of electric engines but don't leach off the power grid directly enabling companies to manage their energy production more efficiently and give us the potential to evolve the technology. However, hydrogen storage is ridiculously expensive and very inefficient (tank takes up the space of an entire car trunk). This will take some time to be marketable.


Well, what I was getting to here, was that currently, we need to switch to biodiesel, 10 years from now, to electricity and then, finally to fuel cells thus allowing the petroleum companies to die slowly or adapt electricity as their main energy production (dropping crude oil).

So, hold on, I'm-a-coming - I'm jumping on the biodiesel wagon.

Beauty

I think you've all noticed that I have a bit of a soft spot for pretty girls... Only god knows how many actresses I've crushed on (I don't mean famous ones, I mean ones I've actually met in person). Wouldn't life be easier if we could just appreciation women for their personalities alone? I know it would rid me of about 60% of my ridiculously high standards - though it would not solve the problem (80% for most men) .

So what do you think the evolutionary purpose of physical attraction is?

We all know about the evolutionary attraction to physical attributes. Breasts, will feed the young; a high waste to hip ratio will make birth easier; good skin is synonymous with health; etc, etc. It improves our chances of procreation. But what about beauty? A perfectly shaped face. A slender figure? Most of these standards are at least partially created by our modern society. Merely flying to another continent, we see other cultures worshiping roundness and a different face and what do we do? We stimulate bulimia and anorexia. And the worst part of it is... I love slender (I'm part of the problem). This is not only irrational, but also unhealthy from a descendance point of view.

My question is: What possible genetical improvements would our descendants benefit from if we procreated with a beautiful woman? What is the evolutionary purpose of attraction to beauty if beauty is primarily cultural?

You're breaking my balls, humanity

I found these two little videos very interesting, so I thought I would share them with you.

Jay Leno, in my opinion, is one of the very few personalities that is both intelligent and capable of being on American television (I respect John Stuart too, but he's just too political for me). Oh, and Leno has a cool garage too - hehe.

Anyway, the first video brings up an interesting point - the death of the electric car. Much like the diesel engine that is more fuel efficient, reliable, and clean than our everyday unleaded fuel engines, the electric engine never reached the masses. Why? Because it was too feminine (says Leno). The diesel engine reached the masses but did not have the success of the other. Why? Perhaps it was too loud. Either way, from a technological stand point, it should have succeeded. This brings me to my first point. It is probable that many inventions and scientific discoveries are in our possession and are not being used purely for marketing reasons.

Today, the fuel companies and the US are investing more money into ethanol than any other alternative fuel source. Why? Because it would allow the fuel companies to keep their infrastructure of fuel dispensation and it would allow America to produce its own fuel and thusly their (both, the US, and the corporations') grip on the world. This is a bit of an issue. I believe that the future lies in electric vehicles (granted, it would be a much more drastic change in our infrastructure). Hydrogen cars (fuel cell cars) or battery-powered electric cars both create zero emissions and run on renewable resources. And, most importantly would push the world to invest more money into fusion (because of the rising need in electricity). Also, electric vehicles, especially the battery powered cars, require virtually no up-keep and could potentially be refueled at home (for hydrogen, we'll have to wait).

Long story short - economics get in the way of a speedy technological evolution.

This leads me the main point.

I have always advocated that free market economics paired with improved communications (globalization) was the fastest and most efficient way to evolve socially. Although, this theory is currently leading us in the right direction (the green movement), we may not be moving fast enough. What that theory does not account for, is the speed at which social awareness advances and the sample size - it has a statistical base after all. So far, it seems that, as masses, we have been thinking in unity and our social herd-psychology pushes us to react adequately - however, I don't think that this is necessarily enough since in the end, those who make decision and control the masses aren't a large enough sample to create a "free market psychological approximation".

Explanation: By "free market psychological approximation", I mean that our human psyche can be approximated and trends can be clearly seen in the evolution of the markets. What this entails is that whenever there is a world issue large enough to affect the bulk of the population, humans will adapt in a way so as to fix the problem - a sort of bee-hive approximation. As a crude example, we can take ecology; sixty years ago, when pollution was unseen, it was also unheard of; today, when we can see a disgusting cloud of grayish brown enveloping the Greater Los Angeles area and taste chemicals in spring water, we can't help but be brought aware of an issue and our instincts tell us all (as a mass - and for the most part) to make a change. And so, we begin to change, and this can be observed in our world economical trends (growing ecological markets, Whole Foods, etc... ).

Epiphany 1

I think that by starting the previous immaturely-inspired thread, I may have finally stumbled upon the answer to a question that has been blissfully preoccupying my mind for the most of the past 6 years. What is the significance and evolutionary purpose of laughter and thusly humor?

Let’s begin…

After reading Daniel’s comment I felt the inescapable urge to add a little of me although I vastly agreed with him (I can’t help it – and neither can you, o’ reader). I was going to state that toddlers merely had less self-restraint than adults. Paired with the inescapable nature of the phenomenon (Daniel), this made children interpret a taboo as a humorous superficial idea rather than a deeply ingrained psychological restraint (of which we are so casually unaware of). But why laughter, of all the emotions we posses? Why not anger? Why not fear?

Because laughter is our way of accepting and rewarding wit and creativity, specifically triggering feelings.

Have you ever noticed that jokes get old? That the best jokes are the ones that are most unexpected? That the sense of humor changes with time (I mean on the large scale – think decades)?

As long as it is new, within our intellectual grasp and not overly taboo, we laugh. Children, specifically, laugh the most because they discover more, because to them, the world is new. The anal stage, in particular, exists because it is an inescapable occurrence that is only amplified by the society’s enduring strive to hide it; and to children, it feels like an ongoing discovery.

Whether the last statement is true or a misguided explanation for the “anal stage”, don’t let my definition of laughter and humor lose its value.

Humor, in my opinion is evolution’s way of forcing us to stay creative and rewarding those who are quick with their wit. This is nature’s way of ensuring that when we need something done quickly, our brains are active and ready. The joy of laughter comes from the bond created with the humorous individual – it is safer and more productive to stay close to one who can provide quick decisions.

Of course, in our day, with the social distribution of work, humor has become more of a means of entertainment (a way of wasting time and relaxing one might add). Wit, being a requirement for a large fraction of our jobs, no longer necessitates humor for rehearsal. Nevertheless, this instinct still serves a mildly important purpose, although it has been demoted from its original glory of a survival instinct.

(Daniel, thank you for inspiring this thread.)

Ps: I'm sorry for all the photos I posted, but I just think they're very pleasant to look at...

The Anal stage

Why do you guys think the anal stage of our psychological evolution exists and when (and why) does it end (if ever).


poop... hihihihi

Response to: “Warming up - Outgroup Homogeneity Bias”

I’ve decided to start a new thread because I figured that no one would read Daniel’s original post’s comments.

I agree with the two views being the mainstream ways that individuals view themselves (I personally belong, for the most part, to the latter – trait ascription bias). The existence of these, in my opinion, is due to the egocentric nature of humanity – which is a direct consequence of the evolutionary personal survival instinct. To evolve as a species we must all feel a certain superiority to make our (personal or group) life better. Imagine if we had bee-like minds and our only thoughts were of immediate survival paired with the protection of the clan, it would take millennia of accidental genetic mutations before we could improve our lives and our chances to survive. With our higher self-esteem, we are able to convince ourselves that we (once again, individuals or groups) deserve a better environment than others, and so, we work harder to create a better world for ourselves and evolve not genetically but socially and mentally.

Whether each individual is “ego-” or “ethno-” centric, does not matter because of the binary nature of our minds. We all have both views within us – simply one dominates. I like to think that I see myself as both an individual and a part of our species although the spectrum goes further. In reality, if one wishes to be “just” (correct) and in harmony, one should see oneself as part of the world’s ecosystem and then the entire universe. This is perhaps what the Buddhists were hinting on?

So, yes, I believe that we need to feel more complex than others but not as a means to build a sense of identity but because it’s a simple instinct of survival.

The capitalist is still alive: A ray of light in an otherwise gloomy dimension

Yes, I am aware that I was the one advocating the creation of this blog more than anyone and aside from my single “mysterious comment” (Daniel), I’ve been absent. Well, here is a post that should satisfy you and explain why I was and will be absent for a tad longer (- a sign of life one might call it).

It took two and a half years of tumultuous personality fluctuations and complete abandonment of all aspects of life taken for granted for me to come to terms with myself and gain the slightest idea of that which nourishes and sustains my self. It turned out that I simply sought freedom. In our human world, the many degrees of freedom that I seek are very difficult to obtain. Virtually every person surrounding us and every instinct within ourselves tells us to follow a path that secures our survival before our happiness. A great many even find themselves claustrophobically wedged in an unhappy lifestyle, marriage or job. On another side, many others simply lose control and abandon all civilization to live in an internal world of utter delirium. It is in my opinion that freedom requires immense amounts of self-control, knowledge and sacrifices.

Today, I am building a business for I believe it is the pathway to gain an important freedom – financial independence and power within society. This task, specifically, is (currently) requiring me to sacrifice my interest in intelligent ideas and intelligent debate.

– I must and it is an inevitable consequence of one of the first stages of my plan to become consumed with the business.

I hope that my lack of reading has not, yet again, hindered my ability to express myself.