Poirot:

I've heard that somewhere before about the neocortex and instincts being out of synch. However, considering our physical vulnerability, extinction would have happened a long time ago if it weren't for our brain. Seeking to survive is a basic instinct so in that sense our brain serves us well.

However, we seek survival on two levels - as individuals and as a species. Like a hive of bees I believe that there are times when individuals are willing to give up the ghost (consciously or subconsciously) for the survival of the group as a whole. This might to some extent explain altruism.

As to destroying ourselves, well isn't it the case that there have been fears of overpopulation? It's also the case that there is declining sperm count and fertility.

http://www.earthsave.org/environment/sperm.htm

Despite all the possible contributing factors, maybe at a deeply instinctual level our physiology takes over. Interesting too if lowered fertility is nature's alternative method of population control to replace deaths or the proportion of deaths caused by war.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:War_deaths_caused_by_warfare.svg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War

It seems to me that while we have the technological capability to incur huge death tolls, humanity is losing the penchant for conflict and that overall the proportion of deaths due to war have been declining. Using our neocortex, we have at least attempted to increase the potential for peace by establishing international bodies of various types to resolve disputes.

This sort of warrior gives me cause for hope for humanity:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/26/2937694.htm

Now if we can just use that neocortex to nip down the rampant multi-national corporatism that is exploiting (and harming) whole populations (thinking especially of pharmaceutical companies here)...

Maybe it's a matter (to oversimplify it) of population control via deaths through war, plague and illness is being replaced by a reduction in the capacity to replenish the population via fertility.

Dear david f.
Thank you for that information - most interesting. It seems that our behaviour then is not anything particularly "above and beyond" a species trying to feather its own nest, so to speak.
It's interesting that the cyanobacteria succeeded in poisoning the atmosphere to the extent that it could no longer survive - sounds familiar. The main difference then between the activities of this bacteria and that of homo sapiens sapiens is that we are aware of our impact - and yet we still continue down the same path.

Dear Severin,

Very witty - and probably very true.

Dear Pynchme,

Re: rampant multi-nation corporatism - I totally agree. (Sorry can't comment longer at the moment - am off to daughter's 28th birthday bash).

Poirot - btw your post reminded me of something else.

Have you ever seen the movie Idiocracy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e2OEgafELw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Vw2CrY9Igs&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVPKNIGCztk&feature=related

Dear Poirot,

I hope you have a perfect daughter. 28 is a perfect number. It is, like 6, the sum of its aliquot divisors.

6 = 1 + 2 + 3
28 = 1 + 2 + 4 + 7 + 14

perfect number = (2 to power (p - 1)) x ((2 to power p) - 1) where p is a prime number

Pynchme re Now if we can just use that neocortex to nip down the rampant multi-national corporatism that is exploiting (and harming) whole populations (thinking especially of pharmaceutical companies here)...

When I consider that statement I think we should first work on applying such scientific resources to eradicating the real harbinger of death being collectivist politics.

Lets face it, collectivism has butchered more people that rampant multi-national corporatism

Collectivist politicians have felt a god given right, akin to the divine right of Kings to murder people for simply holding an alternative view

The proponents of multi-national corporatism have not, seeing such death of consumers as an anti-marketing influence.

And now we have seen the public execution of one collectivist politician, by his own Praetorian guard (Julia playing Brutus, in a poor-man in clogs remake of Julius Caesar).

Hopefully, we will see a similarly decisive rejection of the politics of envy and collectivism at the next election.

Julia is on her honeymoon today, but all we need the public to be reminded of her incompetence in handling tax payers funds by spending on over-priced and pointless school halls and her collective responsibility for insulation induced house fires for the honeymoon to end and she will, likewise be seen as barren and several of Henry VIII wives, to be consigned the same fate as them and her political predecessor.

Dear Stern,

You may have a point - I'll bet those cyanobacteria were a collectivist mob.

Dear David,

I wish I had a more mathematical mind - fascinating.

Dear Pynchme,

Thanks for the links to Idiocracy (love the title) - will catch up with it soon.