Re: Red, tooth and claw (was media and violence)

From: Grant Callaghan (grantc4@hotmail.com)
Date: Tue Apr 30 2002 - 16:06:29 BST

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    From: "Grant Callaghan" <grantc4@hotmail.com>
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    Subject: Re: Red, tooth and claw (was media and violence)
    Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 08:06:29 -0700
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    >
    > >>Compared to that, there aren't many fierce predators (didn't
    >someone
    > >> write a book called something like 'why big, fierce animals are
    >scarce'?).
    >
    > <No offense, but I beg to differ. Even the vegans among us are
    >slayers (of
    > > veggies).>
    > >
    > Don't worry, I'm not going to jump on you like Bill Benzon did! (BTW
    >I'm not going to get involved in that one, apart from saying that I see
    >Bill's wider point, but that's not what you were saying, nor do I think his
    >term for you was appropriate. It's not like him to be so terse).
    >
    > Similarly here, I know what you mean, but still some veggies and
    >fruits don't "mind" being eaten though- indeed isn't that the purpose, in
    >order to get seeds widely distributed? I wonder if plants that bear fruit
    >would, if sentient and able to talk, would be like that animal in the
    >Restaurant at the End of the Universe that wants to be eaten? (Arthur Dent
    >says that's disgusting, to which the retort comes, better than eating an
    >animal that doesn't want to be eaten).
    >
    > There was something recently in New Scientist, that I think someone
    >else referred to, about our early ancestors being prey rather than
    >predators. I think our prey species ancestry affects our perspective on
    >nature so that we focus on predatory animals more than other species.
    >Tigers and sharks get our adrenalin going, slime molds don't.
    >
    > Vincent
    >
    > By the by, there was a piece I haven't read yet, that Robin F (where
    >he gone?) should read, about a theory that the universe is nothing but
    >information, and "reality" is some kind of holographic illusion. My brain
    >was tired on Friday when I bought the magazine (and I was a bit miffed they
    >hadn't published my letter), so if that sounds weird, I can't explain it
    >further at the moment.
    >
    I think it would be fair to say our ancestors were both predator and prey
    rather than just one or the other.

    Grant

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