DrQuinn79
DrQuinn79 t1_jd59s9z wrote
Reply to comment by AutoModerator in Old Man of Storr [4032x3024] [OC] by rex_swiss
I guess because it shows the trail.
DrQuinn79 t1_j15u9f4 wrote
Reply to comment by YankeeKuya in Could microscopic life evolve to become intelligent? by [deleted]
Do ants have periods of rest or breaks? Just that I think it might lend itself toward self inspection, i.e. "What am I doing this for...and why?"
DrQuinn79 t1_j155905 wrote
Reply to comment by balkibartokamis in Could microscopic life evolve to become intelligent? by [deleted]
Radio Lab has an interesting segment where a scientist explained how, in the primordial soup, certain large molecules had a symbiotic energy exchange with smaller outside molecules, then at some point the larger molecules started absorbing the smaller molecules into themselves (they are not sure why, possibly just an accidental mutation that turned out to be beneficial and was passed on during replication...or possibly the Hand of God, if that's your dish), which then began to replicate INSIDE the host, thereby laying the groundwork for complex cellular development.
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I'm sure I have some of the exact terminology a little wrong, but that's the basic idea anyway. If anyone could identify that edition of Radio Lab, I'm sure it's freely available, and would be a good listen.
DrQuinn79 t1_jdfzqsa wrote
Reply to With the extraordinary amount of precipitation that has fallen on California, would that weight have any effect on the tectonic plates/fault lines and could it cause a major earthquake? by barfly2780
Probably not. The water runoff, whether drainage or melt, will flow at a pretty evenly distributed rate. However, if it gets down into a particularly dry aquafer or subterranean reservoir, it might cause shifting in the ground due to saturation, but I doubt anything major would occur. I'd be more concerned about landslides and rockfalls, i.e. the removal of topsoil.