Topics discussed in this week’s episode of Geoprge Dvorsky’s Sentient Development podcast include the benefits of creatine, Jared Diamond’s 1987 article on how agriculture was the “worst mistake in the history of the human race”, the current state of lab grown meats, computational pathology, a review of the documentary “How to Live Forever”, and a word (or two) on the pernicious de-radicalization of the radical future.
Tracks used in this episode:
Oneohtrix Point Never: “Replica”
The Advisory Circle: “Now Ends the Beginning”
Russian Circles: “309”
Hooray For Earth: “Pulling Back”
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Timely. On Sunday my friends out on the ranch were speaking of Thanksgiving. I mentioned how animal genes can be expressed in the human organism and vice versa; they reacted angrily.
Reactive is the key word.
Not only the human soul, they said, but also the human body, is sacred. The body is allegedly the temple wherein the soul resides. Listening to them, it appears their worldview is composed of Christianity, vulgar darwinism, capitalism, and 1779; that is, Jesus, Darwin, Adam Smith, and Madison are their inspirations-- indirectly.
1776, a much more agrarian time, is their annus mirablis. Eating meat is the center of their lives when hunting is included; such connects them with their hunter-gatherer ancestry. Though they aren't farmers, they use the farm as their backdrop, and hunting makes them feel powerful, protected-- more like Clint Eastwood and Sarah Palin!
Plus, they simply like the taste of fresh-killed venison.