Adaptability by Louis Evan Palmer
"It is not the strongest of the species that survive,
nor the most intelligent,
but the one most responsive to change."
Charles Darwin
The "most responsive" description was used in the context of the "best" or "fittest" to its environment which has been twisted by those who did not really understand what Darwin was saying into some kind of amoral, neocon, capitalistic free-for-all where "losers" are strewn every which way as the "might makes right" victors stomp their way to more booty.
Darwin called this adaptation mechanism "natural selection" and many have been struck by the simple profundity of his summary of his observations and the humble beautiful name he gave to it.
There is no implication of "progress" in the mechanism and although there does seem to be a movement towards organisms of greater complexity, there can just as easily be a movement toward simpler organisms if that's what a changed environment demanded.
Change elicits more change; change affects everything around it; any new equilibrium is short-lived. It can lead us, this realization of change and its effects, to contemplating the non-living world as well and how it might adjust itself to a different environment. Is there a selection process going on with regards to the whole of the planet and perhaps, the universe? The Gaia theory is step in that direction.
Now Darwin's theory is the norm and other theories arouse antipathy when only a short time ago, Darwin himself was the subject of derision.
There must be some studies or theses on what creatures are best "fitted" to the toxic urban environments we're inflicting on this planet beyond cockroaches inheriting a radioactive wasteland or vast armies of rats consuming dead people and mountains of garbage.
We need herculean efforts towards discovering and outlining what adaptations are needed to save our habitat and species? We desperately need action and real-live projects like Iceland's plan to go all hydrogen within a short time. We need to spur recalcitrant nations like America by demonstrating that the world economic model has changed and adaptation is mandatory.
We might be surprised to learn that work has been ongoing for some time on exactly that endeavour. It sure feels that way!
Adaptability, Louis Evan Palmer, The Way It Can Be, http://twicb.blogspot.com
Copyright Louis Evan Palmer
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