Time Tree of Life

Thanks to the editorial efforts of some outstanding evolutionary biologists (including Blair Hedges at Penn State) we can now search the Time Tree of Life to find the time of divergence between nearly any two species.

2300 Million years (Myr) – Humans and Blue-Green Algae

1400 Myr – Humans and Broccoli

1400 Myr – Triceratops and Red Squirrels

1300 Myr – Humans and Magic Mushrooms

830 Myr – Rainbow Trout and Monarch Butterflies

275 Myr – Humans and Barn Owls

57 Myr – Cats and Dogs

The time tree gives an approximate date for the last common ancestor shared by two creatures based on the molecular clock hypothesis. This hypothesis assumes a constant rate of mutations across time, so that genetic differences between species can translate into a distance in time. Though somewhat contested, I haven’t come across any better way of calculating evolutionary timescales. If anything, it’s a good first-order approximation and a fun web database to play with.

Planetary Messenger now available!

At long last my philosophical novel is complete! A journey through space, time, and dreams, Planetary Messenger explores the social, scientific, and spiritual consequences of discovering another planet in the galaxy just like our Earth. I began this project as a NaNoWriMo entry in 2007 and continued editing and revising for a year and a half.

From the back cover:

Since the dawn of humanity we have gazed at the stars to ponder our existence. To the naked eye the skies are dark and lifeless, but what if, through a glass, we looked to the heavens and saw our mirror image, a twin Earth from afar? If we found our uniqueness shattered in the vast cosmic arena, then what, if anything, could we still hold sacred?

Planetary Messenger is now available either directly from Createspace or through Amazon. Thanks to all of you who have been part of my life so far and helped make this possible. Happy reading!

Timescale

Comprehending exponential timescales is one of the greater challenges of the human mind. As Brent pointed out:

You need a thorough understanding of the multiple levels of computing.  Programming requires understanding more levels of complexity than a mathematician, physicist, chemist, or structural engineer.

Cosmology and astrophysics as well require similar comprehension of scale from atomic fusion to stellar and galactic furnaces, and to a lesser extent geology depends on understanding the vast ages of the planet and universe.

Magnitudes such as these are difficult to understand fully, which I think contributes to the continuing challenges in the classroom over the theory of evolution. A majority of Americans do not fully accept the implications of common descent, preferring views which maintain a special status for humans, partially because it is difficult for most people to conceive of a time when there were no humans! Thinking about the world ten million years ago is daily work for a geologist, but it is nearly inconceivable for many others.

The Delivery Institute

In a culture where we constantly reinforce the faith-based belief in parentism–the notion that parents are the source of Christmas presents–thankfully this season External Delivery The Future presents a critical examination of this debate, the problems with parentism, and the scientific validity of external delivery theory.

Is External Delivery the same as Santa Clausism?

No. The theory of external delivery is only concerned with empirically testing whether Christmas presents are delivered by an external agent, or an internal agent such as your parents. Santa Clausism typically starts with the premise that Santa Claus is delivering presents, and then seeks to fit the evidence to that theory. The theory of external delivery has developed strictly from objective interpretations of the empirical evidence.

(Thanks to Exploring Our Matrix for bringing this to attention.)

Inhabitants of Eternity

My NaNoWriMo novel is finished, and I am quite pleased with the result. The story Inhabitants of Eternity is a journey of philosophical and spiritual ideas set in the context of near-future scientific discoveries. In particular, the Terrestrial Planet Finder mission will be capable of observing terrestrial planets around other stars, which includes the ability to determine the gases present in the atmosphere. It is conceivable, then, that in the next century we will observe a planet that, at a distance, looks nearly identical to our own life-filled world. Though we have continually been pushed into mediocrity by the discoveries of astronomy and cosmology, Earth is still the only inhabited planet that we know of, and so the uniqueness of Earth’s phenomenon remains a steadfast truth for many people. Set in the near future when this mission first starts surveying the skies, Inhabitants of Eternity explores the implications of such a discovery on both religious and secular thought.

The story takes place through a series of dialogues that explore our conception of knowledge, the implications of biological evolution, the likelihood of extraterrestrials, and the relationship between religion and science. The main character is also a dreamer, which provides a unique setting for his own exploration of these personal and profound ideas. I have written several essays that touch on some of the themes in this story, but I until now I had not outlined the totality of these thoughts into a single work of discussion. I certainly learned a lot from this process, and I am looking forward to what the eventual finished work will look like. I like to give my writings time to ripen, so I will likely not start revisions until January or February; revision seems most beneficial with a fresh look at the manuscript.

For thus says the high and lofty one
     who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
I dwell in the high and holy place,
     and also with those who are contrite and humble in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble,
     and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isaiah 57:15)