From Stars to Chimps

I just finished watching the NOVA series Origins which explores how the universe and the earth came to be. I had started reading the book based on the series a year or so ago, but got completely lost in dark matter and other concepts that required a deeper understanding of physics. Fortunately, the PBS series was designed for the layperson.

The concept that fascinated me the most is that we originated from stardust. Stardust - how magical. I had always been impressed by the fact that all matter is just energy, but to now know that the building blocks for life originated from exploding stars - that's fascinating!


Coincidentally, I'm keeping on with this focus on evolution with my current reading selection - Dr. Jane Goodall's first book on her work with wild chimpanzees in Africa. Fast forward billions of years and here we have a planet filled with a variety of star-born intelligent life.

Goodall's research debunked the theory that one of the qualities that made man superior to the rest of the animal kingdom was the ability to make and use tools. Our cousins, the chimps, had this ability too.

But even more fascinating than the tool discovery, is how human-like the chimpanzees' personalities and social interactions are. The curious toddler wanting to play with her infant brother was so much like my niece and her new born sister. Or the adolescent brother who, much like my brother in our youth, tried to play it cool when he reunited with his young siblings after hours away, but then eventually put aside image to play tickle games with his little sister.

From stars to chimps, it's odd to think that modern man tries so hard to separate himself from the natural surroundings and to think that he is somehow outside of nature. It's no wonder our species suffers from so many neuroses.