Discussion began with our fellow PsyD classmate during the semester about whether or not we automatically did certain things (or had certain cognitions) or whether we used those cognitions strategically for some purpose… I come from socio-political background, love to explore different academic fields and their pertinence to healthy human development. I don ’t know this field, but I wanted to learn something…
Here it is, King of Wildlife! :-) Since we ’re going to be talking about adaptation, and ‘surviving in the wild’- I though we could begin with the cockroach…
They eventually die of hunger (without heads) The cockroach is a feat of nature- it ’s design has worked somehow forever (practically)
We could try, like this guy, to make it dressing up like them… But unlikely to work.
Of course, the environment is both the animate and inanimate world. Temperature changes, climate changes, geological change as well as other species adaptations, survivals or decimation, etc. all constitute the ‘environment’ in which one being must survive. When environment changes enough, must species parish or move. Out of this complexity have developed the creatures we know and love today…
Of course, especially designed to get all the berries you can ’t Reach! (I don ’t even think they eat berries)
Anteater…
Baby Porcupines. (I looked for Punk Porcupines, from the Far Side… great cartoon)
‘ In the beginning…’ The Primordial Soup. Genes feeding on the molecules of energy that emerged after years of sunlight on water. Only protect themselves with moderate shields against chemcial shifts. Eventually, all used up, genes that produce structures that photosynthesize directly (rather than eating off of the ocean ’s photosynthesis…
Plants form! Then compete for sunlight (energy) Then animals form to utilize the work of the plant by eating it, etc. Genetic coding serves up the strategy/ mechanism, the ‘environment’ judges its worthiness
They code for certain characteristics, and the ones who survive are deemed ‘successful’- tough court of judgement. The fact that animals began to move, with levers and pulleys, and seek out warmth, and chase certain movements, and run from others, etc… came through long process of selection from variations in genetic coding or genetic mutation. All this is obviously IN RESPONSE TO THE ENVIRONMENT WHICH IT HAPPENS. No use if not useful! (Show movie)
Everyone up to speed here? Is this making some sense?
Our Brain and the Technicolor Dreamcoat! (Our brains are pretty exciting…)
Let ’s be honest, we are kind of pathetic little creatures, in one way. I can ’t get my temperature right in berkeley, even with my vast wardrobe and heating and cooling devices. I live in a world that humans have utterly conquered, but I hear little sounds and feel scared…
Working together is quite common strategy amongst living beings (in a way, all living beings ‘work together’, but I mean something more specific…) Adaptability is our true uniqueness. Because I don ’t mean simple physical adaptation (like we’re nature’s Gumby) I mean: We don ’t have to rely on 10s of millions of years of trial and error to succeed at survival. We can actually observe and learn in matters of seconds and weeks and years. Hugely advantageous, it turns out. WE can think fast.
Starting to look sweeter, right? Who needs claws?
Successful prediction and adaptation is the key to success In the game of life. And we have a hell of a key.
We = as a species Reading minds = (Kind of) Now Show Video clip…
A lot of this became possible with the development of the neo-cortex, The ‘Third’ brain developmentally. Region of the brain responsible for ‘higher order’ functions… Size in females correlated with size of social group, but not males… (it was actually an INVERSE relationship with males… strange) Hypothesis: male competition inhibits development of neo-cortex. An aside, new study in northern europe: Increase sex parity = decrease male competition, leads to societal violence and war decreases.