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Originally posted by Suki
Raul, thanks for replying so eloquently to my post. All of your points are well thought out and have solid logic behind them. But unfortunately, like a lot of scientific thought it brings up more questions than it answers. For example, all of us are mortal, our cells will degenerate and we will die. That is the ultimate destiny of all mortal beings. Why would we be programmed (in our cells) to resist something that is as natural as death?
Just a quick mind teaser for you Raul. Something similar to that Macedonia anecdote you mentioned to underscore your point on the shift from mystical thinking to reality thinking. What if our five senses, our possessions, romance and all the other things in life exist in order for you NOT to notice that which is eternal about your original pre-birth state? I know it sounds wild, but consider this a moment. According to accepted scientific thought, energy can't truly be destroyed, it can only be transformed (changed). And as humans we have internal temperature, electrical activity in our brains. We have energy. Where does that energy go? If according to this observable material world energy or matter can not be destroyed, just transformed. Why should it be different for obviously energy-based organic beings? Where does our independent energy go? We are basically dead once our brain waves no longer register activity. The energy that kept that activity going--how is it transformed?
See what I mean how science brings forth more questions than it can answer. The search for answers through scientific methods, is what makes science so dynamic and creative.
Well, on the social question. Yes, I am a big mambera....In my teen years I wanted to be a professional dancer. But destiny is destiny. In college my theater professors thought I should drop my Anthropology major, and become an actress, they thought I was very good. Unfortunately, I loved Anthropology too much. Though I miss the acting and dancing a lot now. Raul I live in Denver. Here it is basically dead for Mambo clubs. Just a lot of Mexicanos dancing vaquero-hacienda style quebraditas, to horrible norteno music. I love Eddie Torres. Too bad I live so far from the Mambo action. Love talking to you. Carino. Suki.
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Suki,
I don't see us as "programmed" to resist death. In the most basic sense, cellular activity is just a series of sustained chemical reactions, albeit elaborately and intricately orchestrated. The only ultimate "purpose" of these processes is to carry on the processes. The key to immortality is cellular regeneration. That process breaks down over time through a loss of RNA encoding (errors in copying and alterations arising from exposure to natural radiation and chemicals). The spanish word for death, difuncion, is more descriptive of the process. As cells fail to regenerate, we gradually cease to function, but not for lack of trying.
With regard to conservation of energy, we are internal combustion engines that oxidize nutrients to produce the enrgy required for muscular and sensory activity. These activities create heat that dissipates in the form of infrared radiation. When we cease to function, that energy is no longer generated and we continue to lose heat until our body (corpse) is at ambient temperature. In other words, there is a complete accounting for all of the energy that we take in and release.
Wow! I happen to like nortenas, but I still keep my collection of cuban music handy. Here in the island, just as on the west coast, everything is salsa. Younger generations have no idea what mambo (rumba) is, or that the rythmic timing and feel of dancing on clave is entirely different from that of salsa, the latter having the rhythmic structure of Puerto Rican plena. As it turns out, that rhythm of the plena is identical to the rhythm of cumbia, the traditional music of much of central and south america. That is the reason that south and central americans (eg, colombianos) have adopted salsa on a grand scale. They take to it like fish to water. When I was dancing on the west coast, people were intrigued everywhere I went, as they had not seen latin dance using afro-cuban dance timing. I also prefer the music of the original mambo, the creation of the legendary Lopez brothers (Orestes and his younger brother Israel - Cachao) in the late 1930s at the time that they were playing in the fabulous charanga of the great flutist/bandleader Antonio Arcano (La Primera Maravilla del Siglo - or simply "las maravillas", as they were known at the time). Unfortunately, only the name "mambo" made the 90-mile trip from Havana to the US. The music that was adopted as "mambo" by the big bands in New York in the 1940s was actually the son-montuno of Arsenio Rodriguez, played in the conjunto style that featured trumpet, tres, and a constellation of percussive instruments. For my money, the rhythmic syncopation and counterpoint of the violins and flute in a charanga is unmatched by the sound of most big band orchestras, except that of the incomparable Machito, who used saxophones to accomplish pretty much the same rhythmic effect. I get excited just talking about this stuff!
Aren't there any university positions in NYC in your field? Curator for one of the museums of natural history? (Don't mind me - just thinking out loud.)
Regards, Raul