Dark Gaea
“Gaea is the goddess of earth and Mother Earth herself. She is the first goddess to be in Greek mythology. Gaea arises from Chaos and is said to be its daughter.”
- taken from http://library.thinkquest.org/26264/inhabitants/gods/first/site002.htm
There have been countless attempts to justify the idea of planet Earth-as-an-entity, written from centuries ago right up to the present day. What I’d like to point out is some analogies between a living being (or beings) and our techno-social structures. No conclusions, just some musings.
Nervous System
Yeah, the Internet. And the various radio connections, and any other active form of communications – TV for gosh sakes…
A nervous system? Well, sure – connecting human to human, so they play part of the role of nerve cells in the body-Gaea…
Society as a whole reacts to the stimulus of large events, such as a big storm that destroys areas of a population center. The information about such events flows along news media channels and there is a net reaction, be it flight from the storm or aid flowing into a damaged area.
Healing and Immune Response
We humans struggle very hard to rebuild our cities after destruction, and to restore power, communications and other services. Much like a body’s healing process.
Likewise, we attempt to maintain order on many levels – from local police actions to wars between countries. Again, much like the body’s immune system.
How Grown Up is Gaea?
Taking it as established that there is one or more physical/social structure analogous to a living creature, just how far along the evolutionary scale is this meta-beast??
Not very, is my conclusion. Definitely not self-aware yet, maybe more like an infant – or even an embryo – than a ‘Mother Earth’ figure. Basic reactions are there, but no organized intent or purpose beyond mere growth seems to be apparent.
Maybe such lofty levels of thought and behavior are in the future, or maybe Gaea is too inscrutable for mere cells of her body to comprehend. Probably both.
Things to Watch Out For…
“Apoptosis: A form of cell death in which a programmed sequence of events leads to the elimination of cells without releasing harmful substances into the surrounding area.”
- taken from http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=11287
The analogous form of apoptosis would be a rigid social structure that uses things like the principle of eminent domain to extremes:
“Eminent Domain: the power of a government to take private property for public use; the 5th Amendment of the US Constitution and articles in many state constitutions allow this practice provided that just compensation is made.”
- taken from http://www.emdo.blogspot.com/
Imagine such proceedings taken to the point where even the people in the buildings matter not a whit to the cycle of destruction for reuse of sections of a city.
Huh. We’re almost at that point, aren’t we?
I don’t want to get that phone call – “Mr. Barnet? Or is it Bennett? Yes, whatever – could you kindly commit suicide today? We want your space and resources for loftier purposes now… Your neighbors have all already done themselves in…”
Well, the analogy to apoptosis breaks down long before this point would be reached – I hope J
One can think of all sorts of social manipulations that could take place, ones that favor the whole ‘meta organism’ over the individuals that make it up.
Will She Speak With Us?
Hey – have you conversed with your cells today? No? So why would a putative intelligent Gaea-type entity bother to try to speak with us? And what makes you think we’d understand a single think such a being would have to say?
