Comments on: ‘Be Careful of Little Lives’: E.O. Wilson http://mondoweiss.net/2007/08/be-careful-of-l.html The War of Ideas in the Middle East Sun, 27 May 2012 21:18:24 +0000 hourly 1 By: Defenestrator http://mondoweiss.net/2007/08/be-careful-of-l.html/comment-page-1#comment-70855 Defenestrator Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2007/08/13/be-careful-of-l.html#comment-70855 <p>I highly doubt that life in the rest of the universe looks like ants. That would involve everyone thinking the exact same way. Further, an ant is among the most destructive animals on the planet.</p> I highly doubt that life in the rest of the universe looks like ants. That would involve everyone thinking the exact same way. Further, an ant is among the most destructive animals on the planet.

]]> By: Donald Johnson http://mondoweiss.net/2007/08/be-careful-of-l.html/comment-page-1#comment-70856 Donald Johnson Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2007/08/13/be-careful-of-l.html#comment-70856 <p>Ants have been around for tens of millions of years, I think (maybe longer but I forget), so if they are so terribly destructive they're taking their time in bringing about mass extinctions and so forth. Humans, on the other hand, might have caused the Pleistocene extinctions that wiped out various large mammals and we're hard at work on a much larger extinction event now.</p> Ants have been around for tens of millions of years, I think (maybe longer but I forget), so if they are so terribly destructive they're taking their time in bringing about mass extinctions and so forth. Humans, on the other hand, might have caused the Pleistocene extinctions that wiped out various large mammals and we're hard at work on a much larger extinction event now.

]]> By: Gene http://mondoweiss.net/2007/08/be-careful-of-l.html/comment-page-1#comment-70857 Gene Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2007/08/13/be-careful-of-l.html#comment-70857 <p>Did Wilson say what were the five "vegetable species" we have limited ourselves to?</p> Did Wilson say what were the five "vegetable species" we have limited ourselves to?

]]> By: Oarwell http://mondoweiss.net/2007/08/be-careful-of-l.html/comment-page-1#comment-70858 Oarwell Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2007/08/13/be-careful-of-l.html#comment-70858 <p>Didn't Wilson once quip about communism, "right idea, wrong species?"</p> <p>Why did we evolve to be so much larger (and less happy) than ants, which are so marvelously adapted to life on earth? The teleology of evolution never has made much sense. Why did ants evolve beyond slime molds?</p> <p>Of course, I am making the assumption (a large or, if you prefer, a small one)that ants are, in fact, happy. They seem happy. They don't just march in a straight line like tiny humans would do: they meander here and there, apparently checking out tiny crevasses and bumps that are imperceptible to our huge, highly-evolved retinas. Their paths reflect a nice curiousity.</p> <p>Still, I kill them without hesitation, especially fire ants.</p> Didn't Wilson once quip about communism, "right idea, wrong species?"

Why did we evolve to be so much larger (and less happy) than ants, which are so marvelously adapted to life on earth? The teleology of evolution never has made much sense. Why did ants evolve beyond slime molds?

Of course, I am making the assumption (a large or, if you prefer, a small one)that ants are, in fact, happy. They seem happy. They don't just march in a straight line like tiny humans would do: they meander here and there, apparently checking out tiny crevasses and bumps that are imperceptible to our huge, highly-evolved retinas. Their paths reflect a nice curiousity.

Still, I kill them without hesitation, especially fire ants.

]]> By: LanceThruster http://mondoweiss.net/2007/08/be-careful-of-l.html/comment-page-1#comment-70859 LanceThruster Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2007/08/13/be-careful-of-l.html#comment-70859 <p>I think I saw EO. Wilson with Bill Moyers and was struck by his desire to make the wolrd a better and more caring place. He made this point by stressing the need to look out for each other, including other life forms. Thanks for sharing this.</p> I think I saw EO. Wilson with Bill Moyers and was struck by his desire to make the wolrd a better and more caring place. He made this point by stressing the need to look out for each other, including other life forms. Thanks for sharing this.

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