Sunday, August 16, 2009

Genetics, Human History and Human Nature

Somehow all these videos I've been posting are connected. Really. They are. But so far only in my mind, such as it is.

I started several days ago searching for information about the Human Genome Project and I've come across a great many excellent sites with videos that explain a very complex set of scientific principles and discoveries in language that the non geneticist/paleontologist can understand.

The whole search was done with the intent of presenting an argument - with links to reputable sources to back it up - against certain tenets the Indian Industry wants us all to believe and others that the Industry wants to sweep under the rug so we will not question what they have to tell us. The series on the history of India was one result of that search, but, although is is related, it was more of a "stumbled upon" group of videos than one directly related and relevant to the topic of the Indian Industry. Whether I'll ever be able to bring it all together remains to be seen. I'll probably have to write a book instead. In any case, I have a shitload of draft blog entries that may form the basis of a series of arguments that will state my case.

In the meantime, while looking for information about the Human Genome Project, I also stumbled across a series of videos on YouTube featuring Spencer Wells, which ultimately led me to the first video below. And since by then I was nearly as totally "off topic" as one could get, I decided to simply offer up three vids from the TED site. The first is just an interesting talk given by Spencer Wells. The other too are interesting links from the first, which in my fevered mind I would even find useful in my beef with the Indian Industry. But the main reason for my inclusion of the second two is that they are heartwarming, lacrimonious stories, the last one of which actually contains some nuggets about the importance of property rights as a way out of poverty, which certainly applies on Canada's Indian reserves and the Indian Industry's resistance to exploring the benefits of individual property rights on First Nations lands.

Anyway, enjoy.






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