Are We a Perfect Being?

The statement that we, humans (I believe no other organisms are capable of reading and understand this line), are a sort of creation that is impeccable, flawless, and the most majestic of all is ubiquitous. But do we really live up to the grandeur reputation that is passionately voiced in many, or even all, corners of the world?

The answer is "unfortunately" no. Let's probe into why this is the case.

Humans are living beings, just like other animals (I say "other" because we are animals), such as fish, iguanas, cats, dogs, and dinosaurs (birds included), as well as plants, which comprise those flowery stuctures making up your beautiful garden, if you do have one. All living things, including our little friends and foes bacteria, undergo a morphing process called evolution, that is gradual change in response to their environment for the sake of survival. In this harsh world, as we know and realize, sh*t happens, so not all individuals make it. Those who do not manage to continue their odysseys in this world are extinct, leaving the others with their "successful", selected traits. This phenomenon is known as natural selection, which, along with the theory of evolution, was proposed by British naturalist Charles Darwin in his 1859 seminal book On the Origin of Species.

Intermezzo: It is a real shame that the theory of evolution is still denied by many people, claiming that it is "just a theory." One must comprehend that scientists use the term differently from the hoi polloi, and we do have such an abundant amount of evidence pointing to the truth of evolution that it is unarguably, in everyday language, a fact.

Evolution has been going on ever since the first organisms appeared on Earth and the unfathomably deep passage of time that has passed by has resulted in the wondrous world we inhabit today, with the evolution-shaped, extraordinarily rich diversity of life spread all around it. It can be said that we are hyperlucky since we are some of the last remnants of life (shouldn't we be grateful?), those that represent the leaves on the tree of life or, in scientific terminology, phylogenetic tree.

All the individuals of the current life on this planet are "champions" in that we are the last bits of myriad unbroken chains that lead to the first ancestors of all living beings that have ever existed in the world, implying survival of mind-bogglingly immense magnitude. And all of us come with features that were left by our predecessors as a legacy. Modern humans have super complex brains and definitely are the most intelligent species on the globe. However, if you carefully examine the human body, many of the organs are not as "perfect" as people generally might think. Take the eye as an example. While it is true that our eyes are magnificent, they are not as remarkable as those of eagles, which can see four or five times farther than humans. Nevertheless, it doesn't mean eagles' eyes are "better" or "more perfect" than humans'; eagles' eyes evolved in that way because they are required for hunting prey, while humans do not need such visual acuity for their survival. Returning to the fabulosity of the human brain, our intelligence hallmark exists merely as a result of adaptation to our surroundings. This is also to say that we, including our brains, are still constantly evolving towards new trends as necessary – there is no such word or expression as "peak" or "end point" in the dictionary of evolution. In his best-selling book The God Delusion, British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins also enlighteningly points out that humans do possess infirmities caused by things such as lower back pain and prolapsed uteruses, owing to our upright stance after being in the quadrupedal mode for a vast swath of time.

Nevertheless, it must be admitted that Homo sapiens is a very successful species, and with our brain and, especially, I think, our social bonds and skills (among all the "strengths" we possess), we can make up for our "weaknesses". It would have been difficult for a single human to kill a mammoth alone, so he or she worked together to take it down. We couldn't swim like fish, so we came up with ships, scuba-diving apparatus, and the like. We couldn't fly as birds do, so we invented the airplane and similar things intended for navigating through the air. We even remain the only group of living beings capable of exploring the space. Humans, in a sense, are definitely a barrier-breaking species.

To add another argument against our "perfectness", it is useful to think that a number of members of our own species are born with diseases or abnormalities. Think of those cancer-suffering or limbless newborns, for example. Clearly, pathologies can occur at any point in our lives and this is, in fact, natural, as we ourselves are part of the natural world. Additionally, needless to say, we all eventually will come to a point called death.

So are we a perfect being? Well, as they say, nobody's perfect. ;)

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Why Dinosaurs Matter – Book Review

Why Dinosaurs Matter

by Kenneth Lacovara

This is it. This is just the book the world needs. This is more or less what was in my mind before I purchased this book. Now that I finished it, all I can say is it really is.

Gazing at the intriguing title – and after reading the previous paragraph – you might be frowning with several shadows of a doubt: Do they really matter? Aren't they just long-gone creatures intended merely for children's entertainment? Grab this book and let Kenneth Lacovara obliterate any reservations of yours and convert you into an ardent dinosaur defender.

Why Dinosaurs Matter is definitely "a dinosaur book with a difference," as Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE puts it in her review. You won't find numerous dinosaur illustrations accompanied with a great deal of information on the diet, behavior, and other aspects of hosts of dinosaur genera. No, you won't. Instead, this book will take you into deep contemplation of your very existence on this planet. It will take you into a clearer understanding of the world through the medium of dinosaurology. It will take you into a period of reflection that will eventually lead you to genuine humility. The small size of this book shouldn't delude you into thinking that it is nothing. Why Dinosaurs Matter is made up of 12 chapters, each of which is filled with Ken's sublime scientific writing, which shows that he is a remarkable science communicator. I found that Ken's poetical prose, which was composed with his linguistic prowess, is a supreme point of this book, and with its content of scientific nature, Why Dinosaur Matters is a treasure of (dinosaurian) paleontology. You might be asking: Are there any particular dinosaurs covered in this book? The answer is yes! These include the world's most famous dinosaur: Tyrannosaurus rex, and the mighty Late Cretaceous sauropod Dreadnoughtus schrani, which was discovered by Kenneth Lacovara himself in southern Patagonia over a decade ago. In a nutshell, Why Dinosaurs Matter is a brilliantly & beauteously enlightening book.

As you may have noticed, Why Dinosaurs Matter is a TED Book, which means that it expands on a related TED Talk. Be amazed at Kenneth Lacovara's 2016 marvelous speech: Hunting for dinosaurs showed me our place in the universe (to access it on YouTube, click here). You might also want to have a glimpse into the book by navigating through these useful links:

• Here's Why Dinosaurs Matter (TED)
• In Defense Of Dinosaurs (Science Friday)
• Q&A with Paleontologist Kenneth Lacovara (Natural History Museum of Utah)
• Why T. Rex's Puny Arms Are a Sign of Strength (National Geographic)
• Why Dinosaurs Matter... (Live Science)
• How a Boy Who Was Obsessed with Dinosaurs Discovered Dreadnoughtus (Live Science)
• Kenneth Lacovara Tells Us ‘Why Dinosaurs Matter’ (GeekDad)
• We are all walking natural history museums (INKtalks) (to watch it on YouTube, click here)
• Why Dinosaurs Matter - Kenneth Lacovara, at USI (Unexpected Sources of Inspiration)

Beware! Reading Why Dinosaurs Matter has a side effect: it will astronomically enlarge your vocabulary, owing to the innumerable expressions Ken poured into it. You might want to get a reliable English dictionary ready before you start reading this eye-opening book.

Have you read Why Dinosaurs Matter? What do you think of this book? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

P.S. I love how Ken addresses young Earth creationism in this book. ;)

Related article by me: Why Dinosaurs?

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The Problem of Tolerance

Recently, in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, the food stall of an aged woman named Saeni was inspected by officials of Banten, one of the biggest provinces in Indonesia. They confiscated all of her food – and perhaps drink(s) too – since it was considered illegal for people to sell food and/or drink during certain hours in the fasting month for Muslims. This was recorded on a video and it became viral on social media; the public responded by giving her a big donation – around 265 million IDR, equal to approximately 19,925 USD.

The underlying idea behind this attention-drawing event is that people should express tolerance to those who are fasting. However, there are people who are opposed to this with the thought that, actually, Muslims are the ones who have to pay respect – to those who aren't fasting – which makes a lot more sense since, as far as I know, fasting is not about avoiding temptation, but resisting it. But, say, it is really about 'avoiding temptation'. So we are faced with a clash – one side wants to fulfill their daily sustenance needs (and this means bread and butter for Saeni), while the other wants to experience as fewer things that can drive them to consume food and drink as they can.

In the wake of this controversial matter, a meme challenging the Minister of Religious Affairs to keep Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport open on Silence Day and ban Christmas trees in malls has spread on the Internet. If you think about it, they reflect the same kind of issue. Most Balinese are Hindus, but there are Balinese who aren't. I believe so many foreigners, as well as non-Hindu Balinese (including Muslims), want to enter and leave Bali through the airport on the religious holiday, when Hindus don't work – perhaps they want to visit their families or partners that they haven't met for ages. The question is "Who is to tolerate who?" The same thing can be recognized in the second case, although it is more subtle. Would a Muslim hanging out in a mall be agreeable to occupancy of items promoting Christianity, which clearly teaches doctrines contradictory to Islamic ones, in some space where they should be able get through? The honest answer is "no". And this gives rise to the same question "Who is to tolerate who?"

I reckon we can find many other examples easily. You live next to a church and the choir is chanting a hymn while you are trying to meditate, needing silence. You are exhausted and trying to catch forty winks at noon before continuing to work at 1, but the mosque near your workplace is emitting loud sounds through its speaker(s) – it's very likely to happen in Indonesia. You are discussing the possibility of a new contract with your important business partner while the smoke and ash of burning incense from a temple is making your eyes ache and distracting your concentration. Who is to tolerate who?

There is no win-win solution to this kind of thing. One has to swallow a bitter pill, whereas the other rejoices in the fulfillment of their wish. The end result might be in favor of the majority of inhabitants of the region.

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Principles - Prince's Disciples

The world is changing so fast and we are to decide where to go and what to do. Many offers, many options, and, therefore, many possible results.

Christians need to remember that they are "Christians". They are the disciples of Christ, the Son of the Father, the Prince. Christians are to live a life that's according to His plan, His good plan. However, being a Christian is not easy, as stated in Matthew 10:16.

There are many "wolves". Temptations, challenges, and problems are all around us. We cannot evade those. We have free will and our commitment to God is always asked every time we meet the "wolves".

A Christian should remember that they are capable of being a good Christian, by God's grace. They must stick to the principles, the teachings of Jesus Christ, every word that comes out of His mouth.

Following Christ needs bravery and resoluteness. It should be consistent, not temporary. You might be hurt; you might be left. You might be alone in this world but in fact you are not. (Mark 3:35)

Everyone can leave you but God will remain beside you if you do His will, do what He wants, which is exactly the purpose of us being here.

To end this article, let this Kent M. Keith's quote touch our heart. Continue reading