Posted by cav on October 29, 2004 at 09:37:29:
In Reply to: here's the lowdown: Homo floresiensis posted by giveawayboy on October 28, 2004 at 11:55:13:
Wow...very interesting. I've just got to say everyone interested in this kind of stuff and it's implications for how we view our history should read the book "Ishmael". Steve's got a copy. It just proves that we don't know as much as we like to think. I'm not making conclusions about the find, just saying that the fact that such a surprise exists means we haven't got as much sowed up as we thought. It proves yet again how our various cults of understanding are far from the ultimate understanding...especially the cult of science (I can say that as a scientist by training).
AS for faith implications, it does nothing...or shouldn't. It doesn't call into question the veracity of the Bible, or of what we believe to be the roots of our faith. It we feel shock it is the shaking of our perception of our faith and not the faith itself being shaken.
Also as a naturalist, it points out the fact that folk culture often has more line on truth than science. It is merely a different way of understanding the world. Science uses empiricism, and we value that in our technological culture, but experiential understanding is also of value. Folk culture operates on this experiential basis. As naturalists, we are trained to look at the entire observable spectrum, rather than breaking it into pieces. I'm refering to the line in the article about how the local people have had legends of the small people about 3 feet tall that live on the island.
It will be interesting to see how this find plays out into our culture as a whole. Probably not more than a footnote in the news for most people..."and now on to the best spots to consume something... all of which happen to be our sponsors!!! More at 11."
: This is huge! The long and short of it is that a HUGE discovery has recently been made in Indonesia, the remains of dwarf-sized hominids. Already dubber 'Homo floresiensis'. According to the article "scientists called the dwarf skeleton “the most extreme” figure to be included in the extended human family." Now, scientests are reworking their understandings of man's biological and evolutionary history. It will be neat to see what further studies reveal. Any insights Steve? This one's right up your alley.