2018 Fall November 18 Sunday

31 degrees (feels like 20), no walk, 90% humidity 

Planned on walking this morning, but when I saw the wind speed (17 mph) and the “feels like” temperature, I decided to wait!

Yesterday was very nice in the morning (in the 60’s), but rapidly cooled in the afternoon.  

While it is a stretch, when I listen to the “Great Course” on biology, I compare the behavior of “cells” to the behavior of people.  

I use the term “cells” loosely, to illustrate all of the ways of biological change etc.  

One of the terms used was something to the effect of “genetic migration”, where genetic change occurs because of “migration” of cells that have carry (or don’t have) certain characteristics, and so change the entire organism, animal, plant, human being or whatever.   (At the new location.)

I am reading “Boomtown” , the story about the settling (and development through the years) of Oklahoma City.  It is truly an amazing story.  

While recognizing that people are basically the same, and not making any judgements, I think the people who inhabited Oklahoma City,  the very early settlers etc., people who responded to the gold rush, went on the Oregon Trail, migrated from Europe to the United States etc. truly made a change in basic human structure.  

The reason for this would be that people who migrate probably have certain cellular as well as personality traits that are passed on to comprise a different human being, over the long term anyway. 

Of course, the direct change would be further changed by people who migrate later under different circumstances.  

Sometimes I look at the country side, the trees, hills, rivers etc. and I really wonder how people with only wagons etc., could have survived, much less prospered back in the 1800’s etc. I am sure they had characteristics (again, no value judgements) that basically changed the biological structure of humans who migrated.  

Of course, that is assuming our body structure influences our behavior, which I think in some basic way it does.  How, I have no idea, but it just seems logical.  

I have a difficult time focusing on the book as I listen to it, since so many of the concepts are completely new to me (at least on my conscious level).  I remember many of the terms (as an example the “double helix”), but I had no idea of what that meant.  ( still don’t!) 

It is always comfortable to read something I am familiar with, but always interesting to learn something new also and try to relate it to my current knowledge of other fields etc.  I

I am tempted listen to the book again, but 36 hours is a little hard to find!  I still have about 19 hours to go on the existing book!  

It is one of the “Great Courses” that have a pdf study guide, so I need to read it.  The best procedure is read a chapter, listen to the book and and read the chapter again, but “good intentions” are difficult to implement!  

That’s it for now, Sunday, November 18, 2018.