Scorpio Rising

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As is customary at this time of year, terrestrial TV rolls out the usual suspects in seasonal film. This afternoon's offering is Jurassic Park; as Jane says, this one has long replaced The African Queen as the holiday film du jour. I still think it's a good yarn even now, but it might be time to ring the changes and find a new staple for the season.

Thinking about dinosaurs, which after all on the whole existed over a very much longer period than mankind has thus far - and let's face it, if we carry on the way we are, the dinos will beat us hands-down in the longevity stakes - makes one wonder about the definition of a 'successful' species: there are after all species extant today that have been around since before the dinosaurs.

One in particular is the scorpion, alive in the Silurian era, some four hundred million years ago and still going strong today. Makes you think, don't it? I'd bet on them being around four hundred million years hence, but I think the odds are probably against the human race being there with them.

Comments

  1. Clive29 December 2020 at 08:42

    Interesting thought. I listened to a scientist on Radio 4 recently talking about the same. He commented intelligence is an evolutionary experiment the outcome of which is yet to be proven as a good idea. Long term survival may be better served by alternative evolutionary techniques.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sideways29 December 2020 at 09:19

      I missed that R4 piece - I'll have to check it out on Sounds, if it's still available...

      Delete

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