January 27th

Here in Elstree, England, overnight rain has cleared the thick snow covering the ground, the temperature has risen from zero to 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit), and the sun brightens the landscape. However, on reading the BBC news today, my attitude isn't so bright.

blindloop.com

A study on rats has shown that exposure to certain chemicals during pregnancy affects not only the fetus, but generations to come. In the news report: The work implicates a class of chemicals found in certain plastics, as well as one found in jet fuel. 

Chemicals again. We know plastics are harmful to health, yet businesses go on manufacturing and using them to wrap our food as well as a million other purposes. Jet fuel must spray out of airplanes and affect us in the air we breathe and the food we eat. No escape.

'The idea of "epigenetics" - that parents do not just pass their genes to their children, but subtle differences in the way those genes operate - is one of the fastest growing areas of scientific study. Rats exposed to phthalates had offspring with higher rates of kidney and prostate disease, and their great-grandchildren had more disease of the testicles, ovaries and obesity'. 

Maybe an overweight person can blame their grandparents for their condition.

Dr Skinner said: "Your great-grandmother's exposures during pregnancy may cause disease in you, while you had no exposure. This is the first study to show the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease such as obesity." The study stresses that the tests were in no way conclusive and would not be conducted on humans. 

Can we justify experimentation on animals? We know rats are highly intelligent animals. Some people even keep them as pets, like Ben. Listen to Michael Jackson singing Ben here.

 I find the whole subject of causing harm to animals repugnant. Will humankind ever stop their interference? 

Is it worthwhile for a few creatures to suffer to benefit others?

The same case could be argued for servicemen who suffer or die during war.

January 8th

The grey sky continues here in England. Five and a half thousand years ago, newcomers arrived in Britain. Did they see the same weather? Maybe they landed in summer. Why did foreigners leave their own land? Were they persecuted, hungry or merely exploring? So far, nobody has found a reason.

Whenever it happened, the explorers changed the local population's outlook. Along with their intelligence to make ceramic cooking pots, they also brought rats in their grain. Within two generations, people faced extreme physical violence from each other because of their switch from hunters to farmers. To grow cereal and herd cattle, they needed land and, with it, protection from anyone wanting to take over. From then on, ownership played a major role in events. They armed themselves with weapons, not for their prey, but for their neighbors.

The human population increased because of the life-style so they could no longer hunt. No going back. The rats took advantage of the food supply.

Now days in our overpopulated land, we worry about people taking our parking space. Those who haven't overcome their hunting instinct catch fish or shoot birds, targets, goals. Some compete in sports, fashion, jobs or even cooking. So far, the Pied Piper hasn't led the rats away.