MA: Homo erectus and Homo neanderthalensis, at one point in time, were in exactly the same situation as our mountain gorilla is now.
Their populations became isolated and their breeding numbers declined to the point where their species failed.
J: Well our numbers aren’t declining.
MA: No they are not. We have about 6.8 billion humans spread out over every ecosystem on earth and a few brave souls living off the earth in orbit.
We are, in fact, living in a human population explosion.
James tens of thousands of years passed before our species reached the one billion mark, around 1804, it then took only 130, 33, 15, 13 and 12 years to add each succeeding billion.
This accelerating rate of increase is what is meant by the term population explosion. Not that hard to see really.
We are expanding as a species at a faster and faster pace.
Which brings us to the math part of the question.
Would you like to take a break before we get into your favorite subject - she said laughing.
J: MA knows that I hate math.
Yesterday my energy level sucked. My writing was weak and so I boogied.
Drove to the Bay and it was 65 degrees, sunny and calm. Not a bad December day. Sat at the ocean deciding whether to drive on to the resort at Millbrae or stay at the beach.
The beach won. So I slept till 9:00 this morning and drove to the Internet cafe across from the Old Balboa theater.
While I showered and dressed I listened to San Francisco Jazz - one of many stations. I understand that SFO has many drawbacks but the music on the radio is not one of those. Great Jazz, Acid Rock and classical - and that should just about do it for most people.
It is raining to beat the band this morning (I know you're shocked) - drove down the beach to Balboa with that semi-french song about shooky shooky na na something just rocking the jeep. Put me in a great mood.
I love the rain. It is always a blessing, I supposed if you lived here or Seattle then you might not be so sanguine, but I am.
I would like to own an interest in the parking meters in this district. It is a quarter for 8 minuets. You need a sack of quarters to go to the movie or chill out in the bar.
So here I am. It is Wednesday morning the music in the cafe is too loud, my parking meter is subject to bankrupt me...... but I believe we are going to have a very good day on this thread.
We have nibbled at the salad, made the mandatory stab at the vegetables but now it is time to carve up the steak and get down to the meat.
And the meat is exceptionally well seasoned.
James