The Telepathic Shark

Neuroplasticity and the White Reindeer

(Quick – look at the word on the left and tell me the color on the right - from lumosity.com).

The human brain is the only organ we prescribe drugs to, without seeing it, or – God forbid – without truly understanding how it even works.

When you think about that, it’s a little crazy.

But there’s hope. We are about to have much better tracking of what the mind can do and how it can even change it. I am a daily student of Lumosity.com, as we all should be. When these brain games are fully developed we will be able to rewire and rework our brains each day, much as we lift weights.  This is the next real breakthrough in human evolution. When we talk about the Singularity, sometimes we forget we’ll improve our own cognition as well. It is something we will all strive to do in the coming years…. your six pack abs will take a back seat to your BPI or Brain Performance Index. Which brings up Neuroplasticity – the fact that you can continue to wire your brain throughout your life.

Training our minds for what’s ahead is critical. I read somewhere that the biggest threat to our species isn’t global warming or a massive asteroid floating in from space. No. The biggest threat to our existence is our will to live. Last year there were more military suicides than there were combat deaths. That, my friends, is a canary in a coalmine. They say that depression can spread like the common cold. We must seek to quickly answer what shuts down the will to live – and correct it as soon as possible – and in a cognitive non-prescription way.  That will be the real war on zombies.

To make sure we have that will to live – we must continue to find ways to rewire our brains in order to wrap our heads around what will happen in the future.

The telepathic shark knows the key to ocean survival is exploration – if the ocean is based on patches, you’d perish if you were to stay in one place for too long. Our minds will suffer if we don’t seek out new explorations.

Which brings me to the white reindeer… It’s been around all my life and now it’s time to deal with it. Mumford and Sons put it this way in the song Awake my Soul:

“How fickle my heart and how woozy my eyes. I struggle to find any truth in your lies. And now my heat stumbles on things I don’t know. My weakness I feel I must finally show.”

(Which takes us back to the question at the beginning - Do you see the color or do you see the word?)

Of Scorpions and Tiger Spiders

About a week ago, I ate my third scorpion. The first one tasted like almonds, the second one was juicy, the third one, well the third one tasted like a dried scorpion (albeit soaked in tequila).

Which brings me to my topic (in a Family Guy style way) – The Tiger Spider.

It appears a new super-sized spider has been found alive and well in Sri Lanka. It spans eight inches across and it’s called a Poecilotheria rajaei or “Pokie” for short.

Wired Science says it was found living in trees and in a doctor’s quarters.  Of course it would be venomous and extremely fast (check out the video above).

It’s also called a Tiger Spider and it’s related to a class of South American tarantula that includes the Goliath bird-eating spider, the world’s largest.

Development has encroached on the Pokie’s territory – and that’s why they’re being noticed.

I find all this fascinating because I have intense arachnophobia – so knowing what’s out there is good.  Ironically – I am a Scorpio – so my sign is an arachnid.

Put me in the ocean with a Great White Shark without a cage and I’d be fine. Put me in a small room with a spider and I’d pass out.

I always think about my intense fear of spiders – as I try to push for good shark PR. Some people see sharks the same way I see spiders. I tell people “you’ve just got to spend time with sharks.” They’re like “Sure, I’ll get right on that.”

I’m sure the only way for me to get around my arachnophobia is to probably spend more time with spiders. “Sure… yeah… I’ll get right on that.”

Spiders are incredible products of evolution –for instance, recently a spider was discovered in the Peruvian Amazon that builds decoys in its web to confuse predators. Scientists say spiders are great designers – so it should come as no surprise they can design beyond a web.

I wouldn’t mind spending some time one day with a top spider scientist. It would be a good place to start overcoming my fear.

I still believe our willingness to understand diversity of life on this planet in all forms will determine our long-term survivability. 

Especially understanding the life we are afraid of.

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Fast, Venomous, Face-Sized Tiger Spider Found in Sri Lanka

Heavy Metal Sharks and Hallelujah

It’s been said that Great White Sharks are attracted underwater by the music of AC/DC. 

I’ve had some of the best dives with Great White Sharks to Hell’s Bells and For Those About to Rock, We Salute You (actually playing on underwater speakers). It really makes the whole experience slightly surreal. Then again, I guess it should be extraordinary when you’re in the water with these impressive, massive animals.

The White Shark really is the heavy metal shark.

I recently sorted my iPod playlist by number of plays – to see what music I’m attracted to.

The number one song is See You Tomorrow, it’s by John Powell from the soundtrack How to Train Your Dragon. It’s a joyous, ebullient song that plays as Hiccup is trying to help Toothless the dragon fly again. I would say it reminds me of some of the dives I’ve had with Tiger Sharks. The second most played song is Forbidden Friendship – when Hiccup first reaches out to Toothless. From start to finish, it’s a song about pushing across boundaries.

To me these two songs are musical interpretations of the relationship we have with the natural world. They drive the emotion, through and through, and, perhaps, the connection.

Which brings me to the third song on my iPod most played songs list. It’s Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah sung by Jeff Buckley from the album Grace.  According to Wikipedia, when Cohen wrote the song, there were as many as 80 verses before he pared it down. It’s said he banged his head against the floor to help decide.  I guess it was worth it – apparently there are 300 different recordings of the song. There’s even a book about it.

The Jeff Buckley version hits home – he sings each verse with unbridled intent.  It’s a song you feel and understand. Every time I hear it, I hear something new.

“You saw her bathing on the roof, her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you.”

I think this song cuts to the core of so many things – especially why love and life rule over money. To me it says that no matter who you are - we all want the same thing.  “The baffled king composing Hallelujah.” We all want a moment of Hallelujah and we want to know what it takes to get there. Michael Collins said it from the command module after he knew Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin had safely returned to the Lunar Module after Apollo’s 11 first moonwalk. Commander Gene Cernan said it on the surface of the moon during Apollo 17 – “Hallelujah, Houston.” 

If I were to tie this song back to the sharks – I would say this song would probably go best with Whale Sharks.

When you see one of these giants swimming beside you in the ocean, all you really want to do is whisper, “Hallelujah.”

“And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah.”

Of Monsters and Men

 

WeWereMonkeys : Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks from WeWereMonkeys on Vimeo.

Of Monsters and Men is the band... the album is My Head is An Animal.

Several great songs off this... and a return to fascinating music videos... incredible adventures in the span of 4 minutes.

 

Why Ask Why? Science, Jurassic Park and Evolution

Science can be very harsh sometimes. Our propensity to ask the question "Why?" can lead us into trouble. 

In Jurassic Park (which opens in IMAX this weekend on its 20th anniversary) - Dr. Ian Malcolm will say - "What's so great about discovery? It's a violent, penetrative act that scars what it explores. What you call discovery, I call the rape of the natural world."

We do have this crazy balance between wanting to understand, and actually undermining whatever it is we seek to understand.

Perhaps we shouldn't care and ask the harsh questions that science demands? I disagree - evolution dictates that we should. We must seek to ask the right questions. 

Through some online exploration - I just found out that one of my best friends  had a baby in November of last year - I didn't know because we had a massive business disagreement and falling out in 2009.

This time the discovery is on me - and it's painful.

What good can come out of this? Perhaps some healing can begin.

Where was the telepathic shark when I needed him?

Long Time, No Shark - Breaking the Pattern

Yes it's been a while, but here's the report this April 1.

The one thing scientists have learned about the open ocean is that it is patchy (thanks Dr. Wetherbee).

Somehow, I think life tends to be the same way - let me quickly explain.

Life tends to form in patches in the open ocean - like so many oases in the desert - an aggreation of something. (That's why the Oceanic White Tips are so excited to people  in the open ocean - they're like "Whoa! What's this?")

Tracking now shows us that migrating Tiger Sharks spend time traveling from patch to patch. When they find something, they hang around, until they decide it is time to go to find the next patch.

I think it's easier for a shark sometimes. We hang out in our own patches, but are we willing to take the long swim to find a new patch? Life is a huge ocean - and we must always be pushing to explore.

For me, that's what April will be about.

It's time to swim - break the pattern - kick in the throttle - time to find a new patch.

"Our lives and our choices, like quantum trajectories, are understood moment to moment. That each point of intersection, each encounter, suggest a new potential direction." - David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas

 

Apollo 17 at 40 Years

Of all the missions of Project Apollo, I tend to think about the meaning of Apollo 17 the most. 

After 40 years we haven't been back.

Optimistically, this is the longest we will have to wait.

I'm sure of it.

Project Apollo and Humanity's Punctuated Equilibrium

40 years ago we landed on the Moon for the last time on Apollo 17.

When it comes to space and Apollo, you've got to look at it in a macro-evolutionary way. Basic human intelligence is centered on fight or flight response. Humanity, at this point in time, choses to fight. That's what's in our DNA.

Sadly we accept that. We fight trillion dollar wars for which there is little return. Apollo had a $1 to $14 (US) ratio of return.

With Apollo - the cold war - Kennedy's search for something big politically - and then his assassination- all of that forced the flight response - and it mutated into 6 landings on the moon ending with Apollo 17. "Blow the bolts, we're going to the moon, no matter what."

As Michael Crichton would say "Life found a way."

Economic factors, political factors and not being able to answer the question of "Why?" were the cancers which killed this mutation - and never allowed it to come back. (Sure we got the Shuttle - but it will only be a note in the evolutionary appendix).

We need more mutations like Apollo as we continue to evolve. We need them fast and we need them aggressive.

Apollo gave us the freedom to see it was possible to leave the planet and go elsewhere, if even for a short time. Mutations to space aside, the only other factor at the macro-evolutionary scale will be force.

One day we will be forced to go into space via some calamity or future event (if it's not too late). And even then - some won't get it. They'll ask - why risk it? Why go?

Why you ask?

The fact is evolve or perish.

It's not about XRays or the GPS. Never was. Not about footprints and flags.

Space is the next step in evolution - it won't be for everyone. That's the other lie we tell ourselves in the space business. "Let's open it up for everyone. So we can all go."

At least for now, resources and economic reality won't allow that (other evolutionary forces at work).

Our message should be - let's pursue space exploration - so humanity's children will get to survive here or elsewhere.

It's that simple.

Of Stars and Star Throwers

The thing I like best about my life right now is it's filled with star throwers.

The story of the star thrower goes something like this: A boy is walking down a beach during low tide. A man is walking towards him picking up starfish from the beach, throwing them back into the water. The boy looks at the man confused, "Sir? What are you doing?"  

"Throwing starfish in the sea," the man says, looking back at the boy.

"Why?" asks the boy.

"The tide is going out, they'll die if I don't throw them back in."

"But sir," the boy says, looking at all of the starfish on the beach,  "you can't save them all."

The man reaches down to pick up another starfish and throws it back in the water. "I saved that one."

In my life, I have heard this story told so many ways over several decades. I can still remember the first time I heard it. 

I'm fortunate in my life to be surrounded by star throwers. People focused on doing good. Most know in their heart they can and will make a difference no matter what it takes. 

That, perhaps above all else, is what keeps me going. If we focus on giving, on doing what we can for the one - the light from that one candle will spread - illuminating the many.

When you close your eyes for the last time in life, it's not how many stacks of gold you have, it's how many stars you helped - how many times you tried, not really sure of the outcome. How brave you really were. How you tried to make a difference.

How you helped spread the light of stars.

Is That All There Is?

When some of the Apollo astronauts came back from the moon, they were left with an extremely nagging question: Is that all there is? We see some celebrities asking the same question and trying to answer it with drugs or alcohol (wrong treatment).

When half your job is working in any exotic location (aka - in front of a large audience, on a giant movie screen, on television, in a remote location, underwater, the moon), coming back to reality can be mind-blowing ly tough. You are left with that annoying question, "Is that all there is?"

Internally, we know there's more, but we feel the utter impact of what we've just seen - it skews our vision. There is somewhat of an empty feeling.

Empty feeling?

Moments of an extreme nature stretch us to be more than we are or were - our proverbial circle increased. If our circle of experience is larger, we have to grow into it - the space between who we were and who we are about to become can be hollow (drugs, alcohol or depression help dull this gap).

Trying to go back to center should be impossible, scratch that, it is impossible (aka - hollowness). Let's face it, this is the nature of any type of evolution you want to talk about.

When we expand our circle, it is time to get busy and grow into it (those who succeed are best at this) - we must focus on what's next. We must ask the hard questions - "What does the journey look like to get to what's next?" "Are we willing to risk a trip?" Most importantly - "Are we willing to be patient, without going bonkers in the meantime." Sorry for all the questions, but questions should lead to more, right?

Peggy Lee asked the question "Is that all there is?" in the song by the same name... the Telepathic Shark says...

"Is that all there is? Yes. But you still haven't found it all yet.  In fact, evolution dictates you never will."