“I’m perplexed.” Nia wrinkles her nose. “The math doesn’t add up.” “Thaaaaaa-ts the magic!” Thalia claps. “The author has hooked us!” Calliope puzzles over the novel’s first sentence. “If you ask six people… you will get seven answers? I don’t understand.”
I experienced the very point of Alexie’s quote this morning. While reading a human interest story about a father’s telling of how he decided his children should raise ducks, this popped out!
The inside of the shell has a system of capillaries that convey oxygen through the shell to the forming embryo. When the soon to be hatchling begins pecking at the shell it only has 24 hours to complete the process. The switch to breathing air directly, and absorbing what remains of the yolk (24 hours worth of food).
I’m fascinated that genes contain the full template for “ducking,” “humaning,” and “Musing.” 🧐 Down to the last detail. Not unlike the reader that wants to read on to solve the 6=7 riddle. 😉
Are you suggesting via your final paragraph the each human has a Great Mystery… inside of themselves? There from birth? And we get to live the adventure/mystery?
I was mostly speaking from a survival point of view, reproduction to sustain each life. But our brains (Vonnegut’s “big brains” included😬) have evolved over the existence of “homo sapiens.”
In the process we’re genetically predisposed to be social creatures. Perhaps too many “survival instincts” that limit those we choose to be “social” with. Us/them. Differences transcending humanity. Sometimes our “big brains” serve us well. That part might not be directly due to our genes. 🤷🏽
You may have noticed my qualifier “mostly” where I began the comment on survival of the species. That was an attempt to allow for behaviors that may not imply survival per se, yet can include social skills (not manners) that support cooperation. With the amount of diversity in our world today, without some social skills you and I might not even be enjoying this dialog... or anyone else for that matter.
Imagine Neanderthals with nuclear weapons? Even dynamite that could blast a mountain and make it fall into “the enemy’s” village. Even if most of the villagers were fourth cousins.🤔
“If you ask six people… you will get seven answers?” Depends on the six people. Economists? Eight or nine, easy. Political pundits? Twelve, minimum. 😁
Philosophers? :)
I’m only 50 pages into the book. The riddle is yet to be explained.🕵️♀️
I love this! The girls are growing… And so is Typist!
Great quotes again today!
🙌🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🙌🏼
As are we all!
Thank You!
I experienced the very point of Alexie’s quote this morning. While reading a human interest story about a father’s telling of how he decided his children should raise ducks, this popped out!
The inside of the shell has a system of capillaries that convey oxygen through the shell to the forming embryo. When the soon to be hatchling begins pecking at the shell it only has 24 hours to complete the process. The switch to breathing air directly, and absorbing what remains of the yolk (24 hours worth of food).
I’m fascinated that genes contain the full template for “ducking,” “humaning,” and “Musing.” 🧐 Down to the last detail. Not unlike the reader that wants to read on to solve the 6=7 riddle. 😉
Are you suggesting via your final paragraph the each human has a Great Mystery… inside of themselves? There from birth? And we get to live the adventure/mystery?
Are there guides to help us on our way?
Because, whew! It can be awfully confusing. 🤦♀️
I was mostly speaking from a survival point of view, reproduction to sustain each life. But our brains (Vonnegut’s “big brains” included😬) have evolved over the existence of “homo sapiens.”
In the process we’re genetically predisposed to be social creatures. Perhaps too many “survival instincts” that limit those we choose to be “social” with. Us/them. Differences transcending humanity. Sometimes our “big brains” serve us well. That part might not be directly due to our genes. 🤷🏽
Ahhhh… you were on the biological tracks with your duck knowledge and I jumped to spiritualality. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Isn’t communication a mystery of its own?!
Have you read the Beartown series by Frederick Backman? I believe the second novel is called Us Against Them. So good!
I’ve not read any of Backman’s books.
You may have noticed my qualifier “mostly” where I began the comment on survival of the species. That was an attempt to allow for behaviors that may not imply survival per se, yet can include social skills (not manners) that support cooperation. With the amount of diversity in our world today, without some social skills you and I might not even be enjoying this dialog... or anyone else for that matter.
Imagine Neanderthals with nuclear weapons? Even dynamite that could blast a mountain and make it fall into “the enemy’s” village. Even if most of the villagers were fourth cousins.🤔
Individual pieces making up one big puzzle?
I’m reminded of the Butterfly Effect. We all have an impact on the whole, whether we can see it… or not.
Well said.