Gaia’s Groove
Mad Science 2
The Four Horsemen 3
The Five Bikers 4
Kulturkampf 5
Let’s Make a Deal 7
Age of Chaos 8
Good News, Bad News 9
It’s a Wild World 10
1. Mad Science
Once upon a time, Gaia got into an experimental mood. The biosphere said, “I need a pioneer. It must plan and improvise. It’ll need tools and language. Hmmm…”
Mother Earth said, “Let’s start with a primate. They have hands. Hmmm… that one. Climb down to the ground, now… good! Stand up and take a look around! Good boy!”
“What’s that? Why are you picking up sticks and stones? Oh, as weapons? How clever of you! Do more of that!”
“They need bigger brains. Bigger! Bigger still! What’s that? Birthing problems, long childhoods… hmmm…
“Okay, then, collective child-rearing…”
Gaia continued to tinker with her creation. She worked partly by planning, but mostly by trial and error. Genetic variation for the error, natural selection for the trials; that plus inheritance yielded evolution.
Mother Earth sought a superbeast, endowed with high intelligence. The biosphere had a job ready for such a creature.
Gaia’s experimental superbeasts set forth and soon transcended their ecological limits. No longer prey, no longer short of food, Humankind spread all over the Earth, and conquered every ecosystem.
They felled the forests, they polluted land, air, and water, and they hunted species after species to extinction. Gaia cried out, “I have created a monster! Who will rid me of these pests?”
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