Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Warm Swirling Wet Goo

No – I’m not going to talk about THAT goo – get your head outta the gutter!

As I write this, I’m just back from the pool – all energized, eyes slightly hazy from the excessive chlorine, joints somewhat fatigued from a good workout, hair moist from the wet goo I swam in.

I’m using the word “goo” here in a positive way – by no means is the pool stanky. I live in a pretty high-end high-rise, and they do an exceptional job of maintaining all the public spaces, including the pool.

How can goo be good?

We’re all created in cess pools of goo. We really are when you think about it – amino acids and peptides mesh together in a genetic pool of protoplasm, floating from cell structure to cell structure, mixing, blending, oozing into chromosome bodies, to ultimately create the multi-celled maze of natural living breathing creatures we become at birth.

Swimming in the pool brought back memories from my initial goo stage. Well, not really – I had no memories back then! But it probably felt somewhat similar – the water was warm and soothing, floating over my body. The wind creating waves and currents, carrying bits and pieces of stuff.

Granted the stuff were bugs and leaves, but hey, we’re working on a science analogy here . . .
Where am I going with all this rhetoric about goo oozing in my pool?

We don’t talk science enough, yet we’re surrounded by science and technology. The information is out there – newspapers, television shows, radio broadcasts, the Internet – it is far easier to learn about science these days then ever before.

Problem is, although we have grown to depend on science and technology to survive, we really don’t care enough about it as a society, to take a real interest.

Where would you be without your phone? Thanks to good science, we are no longer out of touch with those that matter – or in many cases (like telemarketers) those that we’d rather avoid.

Without a computer, you wouldn’t be able to read this blog, check your email, or even chat with your buddies.

We see science all around us, but we don’t really take any interest other than what we can use. Which is sad, because if we were all a little more inquisitive, chances are we’d be better period.

If we tried to understand science, we’d probably pick up on the thought process involved in unravelling some of the big mysteries facing our time.

Such as solving global warming, stem cell use, even cloning human beings – and trust me, it’s more complicated than just creating another you.

Science isn’t something to be scared of – unless you blow something up. But hey, that’s just a practice one – right?

1 comment:

  1. :-D :-D :-D Still on a high from getting my license, sorry.

    But anyway, this post was an awesome read. Props to you for thinking about technology and how it relates to science. I've been thinking more and more lately this kind of stuff is what I want to study during college.

    Especially genetics. I <3 genetics.

    ReplyDelete

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