Brains and Cars
Just finished reading "The Dragons of Eden" by Carl Sagan. WOW. This is the third or fourth book of his that I've read, and I'm still constantly amazed by the quality of thought that he portrays. "The Dragons of Eden" is non-fiction (unlike his better-known "Contact"), and deals with (as the subtitle states) "Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence". Now, Sagan was a professional radio astronomer, not a biologist, so this wasn't written to be a textbook -- and it doesn't read like one, either. It's very informative, but what I find so remarkable about it isn't just the facts he portrays, but his clear and logical interpolation of those facts. Admittedly, the book is now about 30 years old, so there's a little that is just plain wrong and quite a bit that's outdated, but I think (as a non-biologist myself) that the primary concepts Sagan tries to get across are still valid. Definitely worth reading, if you want a little food for thought.
And now, to switch topics entirely! I went to see "Cars" yesterday with John and Santhosh. Really cute movie! Definitely worth my $7. Although Santhosh and I agreed that part of what made the movie REALLY funny was listening to John's commentary and laughter throughout -- he was worse than some of the little kids! :)
And now, to switch topics entirely! I went to see "Cars" yesterday with John and Santhosh. Really cute movie! Definitely worth my $7. Although Santhosh and I agreed that part of what made the movie REALLY funny was listening to John's commentary and laughter throughout -- he was worse than some of the little kids! :)