The Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything, Part I

Don't Ask the Vogons to Read Their Poetry

The question posed in the title was answered by the supercomputer Deep Thought after 7.5 million years of binary cogitation. And the final answer to the fundamental, most profound puzzle that has occupied the minds of brilliant individuals for the past 2.5 thousand years is: Forty Two. Well, that is according to the late, great Douglas Adams in his book, 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'. An excellent book, by the way. However, the BBC series adaptation will haunt me to the end of time. In particular, the incarnation of 'Beeplebrox' with a poorly constructed second head, made of rubber. It was unconvincing and wobbled precariously on Beeplebrox's shoulder. Occasionally, the mouth would move up and down in a parody of a demented ventriloquist's dummy. It looked ridiculous and was disturbingly distracting. Rant over.

As mentioned, the Great Question has fascinated and intrigued our species over the millennia. The question can be put forth in several ways, such as: Is there meaning to the universe? What is the purpose of our existence? Is there an underlying purpose to life? Philosophers contend that there is no answer to these questions. That sounds unsettling. We strive to understand, and we become perplexed when we are thwarted in our quest. Not all are so limited in their understanding. Great systems of thought have solved the conundrum, or so they think. Religions have the answer. In fact, their answer is definitive and true. There is something terrifyingly unsettling in certainty.    

Generally, there is no wriggle room when it comes to religious systems. The question is definitely answered by belief in an unknown, invisible, supernatural deity. A deity of superlatives. A deity that acts in space and time and gets things done. Believe, and there is no reason to ask for an alternative solution. God knows the answer to all things, and that should be enough for the devoted. Deities do not directly project their wisdom and knowledge to the common folk; an intermediary is required. A special class of men who act as conduits to pass on god's edicts and other profound stuff to the simple devotee; a cadre of individuals solely devoted to the role. Usually, the work is well paid and not demanding- a good gig if you satisfy the entry requirements.  

We don't have to understand the mechanism or minutiae of existence. We have the broad outline, and that should suffice. Asking for clarification or raising objections is strictly forbidden. But here is the rub. Different systems propose different solutions to the ultimate question. Even those who claim to adhere to the same deity offer different resolutions. Compare Catholicism with Jehovah's Witnesses. Both, at the very core of their beliefs, worship Yahweh, an Israelite warrior, storm god; however, their versions of '42' are fundamentally incompatible. This can't be.

Simply put, when it comes to religions, various (take your pick), either one system is correct, or none are correct. This is basic logical analysis that cannot be refuted. Unlike induction, deduction provides absolute knowledge. As long as the premises are true, the conclusion is unassailably true. The thinking man knows this and ponders anew. He knows that so-called religious 'veracity', regardless of type/flavour/cult, is not founded on knowledge but on speculation without evidence. When pushed, the theologian will invariably resort to the concept of 'Faith'. Faith, as a theological vehicle for knowledge acquisition, is a baseless fabrication. Invariably, the believer will falter and resort to 'Faith' as a special form of cognition bestowed by the deity. Not only is the concept dependent on supernatural intervention, but some theologians have the intellectual audacity and breathtaking dishonesty to declare that atheists are denied access to this special form of cognition as a consequence of their nonbelief. Frankly, this is where rational debate must end. 

My Personal Journey toward a Solution to the Great Question: Prologue

As a young man of 21, my intellectual development was ragged, fantastic and filled with supernatural causation. It was a time when I earnestly believed in the existence of ghosts. Admittedly, this stemmed from an unsettling visitation by an apparition at the tender age of three. My ghost was no ephemeral shade. It was solid, in vivid colour and materialised within a foot of my bed.  

My Story

I awoke to see an old, bespectacled woman seated on a large wooden chair next to my bed. I was transfixed, unable to look away. I still remember how she was dressed, her grey coiffed hair spun into a bun. A shawl was draped across her shoulders. There was something antique about my visitor, as if she belonged to a bygone age. How long my unearthly, unbiden phantasm tarried, I could not tell. Eventually, the image broke and dispersed into a kaleidoscope of fractured colour. During the experience, my visitor remained still, staring, inert and expressionless. The spell was broken, and I ran to my parents' room crying in terror. This vision had a significant impact on my immature mind.

 At 21, I should have known better. The hint: my wraith came as I awoke from a deep sleep. I no longer believe in ghosts. That said, our present home is afflicted with a mischievous poltergeist whom I have named Rupert. We never see him; however, he takes delight in hiding my pens, reading glasses, car keys and wallet. He is a very naughty sprite! Flaxen, enough of this nonsensical digression and rambling narrative, you must return to the topic in hand. You have something important to say, at least it is important to you and your understanding and conception of ultimate reality.     

I had the fervent hope that I could cover what I wanted to say in one, coherent post. This was not to be. For reasons not apparent to the reader, or the author, to be honest, I have veered from my avowed purpose and found myself mired in narrative verbage that has lurched from 'sensible' to a babbling brook of words, that swirls and disperses into the depths of muddied/muddled soggy inconsequence. Thusly, I have wisely decided to split the post asunder into two (unnecessary redundancy), to prevent 'reader fatigue'. It is my avowed intention to conclude with a second post before the arrival of the new year or the next medication cycle. 

 

Yuletide

As Good as Anything Else

Just finished the Christmas meal and am presently lying on the bed post-dinner. All the family was present; both children, partners and two granddaughters. 

Although I've lived in New Zealand for twenty-five years, I have never got used to Christmas in summer. Today, it is sunny and hot. Just never seems right.

Well, readers, I hope you have a great Yuletide, and don't forget the pagan origins of this Mid-Winter festival. Christianity usurped the festival for its own. The truth is, no one knows the date of Jesus' birth.  It was an act of expediency by the early Christian church. The pagans had an essential festival at that time, and the church fathers knew that it would be virtually impossible to stop those dumb but violent Germanic tribes from relinquishing this highly culturally ingrained festival. Their solution: They imposed a Christian event, 'The Birth of Jesus', on top of the Yuletide festival. As Jesus' birth date was not known, it proved an effective and easy solution. Regardless, the vestiges of the old festivity remain. The yule log, misletoe and other symbolic vestiges are there to see, to the restless mind. 

The same is so with Easter. The Easter celebration was originally pagan. It represented the time of renewal and fertility. The name itself has nothing to do with torturing a Jewish Rabbi and his subsequent crucifixion. The pagan fertility goddess Eostre lends her name to this fest. A goddess of renewal and spring rebirth. The banishment of winter and the celebration of the coming bounty. Again, the deceitful early Christians applied and tried to bury the pagan source of this crucial Germanic celebration of life. The antithesis of the symbolism of non-life as applauded by Jesus' death by Roman justice. As with 'Christmas', the fragments of the old buried remains poke out from the overlying Christian pageant. What do eggs and bunny rabbits have to do with the Christian parody of Easter?

Regardless of belief, custom, or banal celebration, enjoy the day as fits. Tis all subjective and of little consequence to the broader experience. I'm off to sacrifice a virgin (sex not specified) and bathe in the milk of an Ass, seasoned with a tincture of Raven's blood. Who are you to judge?

Nerve Gas III

Don't Tell the MOD

During the 1950s, ICI in the UK was working on organophosphate pesticides when it discovered a highly effective agent. However, the new 'pesticide' proved too toxic for release in the British countryside. The Ministry of Defence took note and recognised the agent as a potentially effective weapon of war. The British had manufactured a chemical that would soon be classified as VX. It proved to be the most potent of all the nerve agents. VX has the viscosity of motor oil, although it can be turned into a fine aerosol by an explosive force. It is highly persistent, taking several weeks to evaporate. Because of VX's persistence, it can serve as an area-denial weapon. In this way, it can be used to secure flanks or as a chemical minefield. In 1956, the British relinquished the use of chemical and biological weapons; however, details concerning the manufacture of VX were passed on to the Americans. In response, the US built up large stocks of the nerve agent. It can be delivered as a binary agent, which is supposedly safer during transport. The two chemicals are then mixed together before deployment. The separate chemicals, although toxic in their own right, are nowhere near as poisonous as the final brew. 

The agent is considered a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations. Its manufacture and stockpiling have been prohibited by a UN resolution in 1993. Well, I'm sure the 'civilised' nations will comply, but what about rogue nations and terrorist organisations? This is not just a theoretical consideration. Read on and weep. Yep, nerve gas in its early stages will cause lacrimation.

In February 2017, the half-brother of the glorious leader of North Chorea, Kim Dim Sum, Kim Jong Nam, was awaiting a flight to his home in Macau when two women approached and smeared a mystery liquid on his face. Although prompt medical aid was rendered, he died after 30 minutes due to respiratory failure. Later, the chemical was identified as VX. I wonder who could have been responsible? Tis inexplicable. A mystery wrapped in an enigma, and coated with a puzzle. There have been other instances of VX use by terrorist groups and foreign governments, however. I don't have the space to go into detail here.    

I would like to finish this trilogy with a personal anecdote. Many years ago, I worked post-university as a researcher in the Botany Department at the University of Bath in England. What a wonderful position you will no doubt shout. Surely, after many years of higher education, I had obtained a distinguished position at an English University, pursuing research at the cutting edge of empirical knowledge. The salary will be grand and the prestige great as I wend my way through research designed to uncover the genetic secrets ingrained in the humble but enigmatic dandelion. Sadly, my salary was slim, but I was desperate for a job. My girlfriend had recently given birth to a healthy baby girl and was residing in a council flat in an unsavoury part of the West Midlands. But enough about me, for this story concerns a PhD student in the department. I've mentioned this character on this blog before; however, one aspect of the original story is relevant here and thus deserves reiteration.

This particular student was indeed very odd and very smart. He had previously studied at Oxford University, graduating with a 1st Class Degree. Because of his strange behaviour, he was disliked by students and staff alike. I have always attracted life's flotsam and jetsam, and perhaps because I didn't treat him with open contempt and derision, he began to hang around the section of the lab where I worked and engage me in conversation. He would regale me with stories about himself and matters arcane. He was anachronistic in his speech and demeanour, with the air of an eccentric Edwardian gentleman. This is difficult to convey in words; however, I will illustrate with an example: He considered himself 'Anglican High Church'. A highbrow form of Christianity, closely akin to Catholicism in liturgy and tradition. Not many 23-year-olds count as members. Indeed, few folk belong these days. Its adherents are generally old and patrician. Although not old, he did have the air of a gentleman displaced in time.

Here is His story

Apparently, as an undergraduate, he had determined the chemical composition of the VX nerve agent and the means of its manufacture. This is before the internet, and the nature of the agent and its production would not have been public knowledge. This information is classified and outside the public domain. Now, there are gifted chemists, engineers and smart weirdos who have the skill to work this out. However, given the sensitivity of the topic and the possibility of government censure, it would be prudent for the chemist to keep their findings to themselves. Our story's hero was not of this ilk. Instead, he wrote to the Ministry of Defence with a complete exposition of his undoubtedly important research. Not long after, two large men in immaculately tailored suits, both sporting the same well-coiffed, short hair, materialised at the door of our hero's dorm. They entered his room without being bidden. Without further ado, they asked for all the information pertaining to the topic at hand. They carried out the work with quiet, unsmiling efficiency, and dare I say it, aplomb. Once the task was done, they explained to our friend that if he ever felt the need to share sensitive information in the future, they would pay him a further visit. This time, they would take him away to a place replete with disused mine shafts. Thereafter, a freak accident would ensue, and the subject of the story would be whisked from our mortal existence to join the choir invisible. He took the hint. However, he considered the incident a badge of honour.

Furthermore, for some strange reason, the chemical production of mercaptoethanol interested him. This is the most unpleasant-smelling chemical in existence. I've had experience with this chemical. Even though the procedure involved minute amounts of the chemical placed in a fume cupboard, the smell permeated the entire laboratory. As the experiment had to be conducted every day for five days, I became the focus of ill will from my scientific colleagues.  

Moving On...

As my readers have no doubt discerned, the problem is stark and terrifying. Nerve agents are not difficult to manufacture with the proper knowledge and facilities. Random nutters, terrorists and governments can use these agents to horrendous effect. Nerve gases truly deserve their designation as 'The Poor Man's Atomic Bomb'.    

This concludes the trilogy on noxious agents. 

Enough tales of horrific, poisonous substances, the next post will be an uplifting Christmas tale in keeping with the festive season. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Nerve Gas Part II

The Poor Man's H Bomb

Now to the interesting stuff.

Science Stuff

I'm sure my readers are clamouring to know how nerve agents work on organic tissue. I will keep this explanation brief.

Nerves transmit messages throughout the body. Between nerve endings is a gap, called the synapse. Signals can be passed from nerve to nerve by the use of neurotransmitter chemicals. There is a whole family of chemical transmitters involved in this process. One of these chemicals is acetylcholine. Acetylcholine mediates signals across nerves controlling muscle contraction. Usually, after the transmission of the signal, acetylcholine is broken down by an enzyme with the predictable name of acetylcholinesterase. This is essential to prevent overstimulation. Nerve agents act by blocking the enzyme's action, leading to an accumulation of acetylcholine and therefore continuous muscle stimulation. Muscles will then contract uncontrollably, causing paralysis and asphyxia, eventually resulting in death. That's enough science stuff, Flaxen.       

Why didn't the Germans use nerve gas during the Second World War? Of course, during the Wunder Years, when victories were swift and the Wehrmacht seemed invincible, there was no need to resort to such extreme measures. However, by 1943, it was becoming clear that the Germans were on the long road to defeat. By mid-1944, the Germans were becoming desperate, and Hitler was raving about his Wonder Weapons. The V1 was about to be unleashed, and the V2 would soon follow. So why not unleash nerve gas? It would have been very effective on the Eastern Front against Soviet massed infantry and tank formations.    

Several reasons have been put forth for the Germans' lack of enthusiasm for using a potentially war-winning weapon. Here goes.

The Hitler Hypothesis

It is said that Hitler had a fanatical aversion to the use of gas as a weapon. This is supposed to have occurred after Hitler was gassed on the Western Front by the British using mustard gas. After the attack, Hitler, who experienced temporary blindness, was still in the hospital when the armistice was announced. If that is the case, why did Hitler allow the buildup of large stocks of nerve gas during the war? Surely if Hitler hated the idea of gas warfare, he would have halted research and the manufacture of these chemicals. Regardless of what he thought about unleashing nerve gas, it is undoubtedly true that if the Germans had used nerve gas in the later stages of the war, the consequences for the Allies would have been grim. Would Hitler have eschewed the use of a weapon with the potential to end the war based on emotional dislike? It has been noted that Hitler had, on occasions, made military decisions counter to military logic and heavily influenced by his intuition and his natural tendency to make rash decisions. In fact, by luck or by crook, many of these early decisions paid off, making career officers look like bumbling fools. I can't say I'm convinced by the Hitler Hypothesis.

Fear of Retaliation

As mentioned, the Germans stumbled upon nerve gas during their research for effective organophosphate pesticides. They were aware that the Western Allies were also conducting similar research during the interwar years. It is reasonable to assume that the British and Americans had also stumbled on these extremely potent nerve agents during their research. Indeed, before the war, it was noted that British patents and research papers relating to organophosphates had disappeared from publication. To the Germans, this was a clear sign that corroborated their suspicions. Of course, the Allies had not yet developed nerve agents; however, the Germans did not know this.

As mentioned, during the early years of the war, the Germans were victorious through conventional warfare. Following the catastrophic defeat at Stalingrad, the Germans were increasingly placed on the defensive and began to be pushed back in Russia and in southern Europe. The time would have been ripe for releasing agents such as Tabun and Sarin. The decision not to use this weapon was undoubtedly based on the erroneous view that the Allies would retaliate in kind. This made perfect sense. By 1943, the British and Americans were bombing the Reich by day and night. Both the British and Americans had concentrated on building up a strategic bomber force. The intent: to bomb cities to kill civilians; to destroy German morale and to destroy factories. Dead men can't make munitions. By day, the Americans made precision bombing raids on essential munition factories. By night, the RAF concentrated its bombing missions on the civilian population. A single RAF Avro Lancaster bomber could carry a 22,000 lb bomb load; however, 14,000 lb loads were more typical. By 1944, raids consisting of 1,000 bombers were commonplace. In contrast, the Germans never really concentrated on building up a strategic air force, although at times their two-engined bombers were utilised in this way. The Luftwaffe was essentially a tactical force designed for battlefield support. Their bombers were unable to carry the vast tonnage of British and American four-engined bombers. The bottom line is that the Allies, if they had nerve gas in their arsenal, could have devastated German cities and military targets in retaliation. There would be little doubt that the Germans would have come out second best. Even if the Allies had relied on first-generation gases, such as mustard gas, to bomb German cities, the results would have been catastrophic. The Allies certainly had large stocks of this agent for ready use. A bombing raid by the Luftwaffe on Bari harbour, Italy, sank 28 Allied cargo ships and damaged many others. One of the ships that sank contained 2,000 70lb bombs containing mustard gas. Mustard gas was released, killing and injuring sailors and civilians in the city of Bari. At the time, the cause of the casualties was covered up in order not to tip off the Germans.   

Logistics Hypothesis

This hypothesis is a variation of the 'Fear of Retaliation' as discussed above. During Herman Goering's interrogation by the Allies in 1946, he mentioned that the Germans were greatly concerned about the impact of a chemical attack on their logistical chain. Unlike the Western Allies and the Russians, the Germans were still heavily reliant on horses to move munitions, food, and to transport artillery pieces. It is remembered that the Russians had received 376,000 trucks as a consequence of American largesse. Horses would have been exquisitely vulnerable to nerve agents. It was already known that horses were non-compliant when fitted with a gas mask. In addition, protection would need to be applied to the horse's exposed skin, such as a drape impregnated with protective chemicals. Not only would a cover provide inadequate protection against nerve agents, but the horses would also likely have reacted negatively to the restrictive attire. 

An attack on the logistic 'train' with nerve gas would have had the potential to completely collapse German logistics, especially on the Eastern Front. It does not matter how highly trained an army is, a lack of food, ammunition and other essential supplies would result in disaster. Napoleon rightly observed: 'A good general attends to tactics, a great general attends to logistics'.

In conclusion, the Germans incorrectly surmised that the Allies could retaliate in kind when it came to the deployment of nerve agents. If utilised, they also realised that they were likely to be the worst affected by the deployment of these agents. The great question: What if, in sheer desperation in the latter stages of the war, Hitler had decided to use nerve gas? Perhaps he reasoned that if Germany was to be destroyed, then the Allies should also be scorched by the 'Devil's Breath', in one great final Gotterdammerung!

The strains of Wagner waft within my very soul...

Note to self: I don't have a soul.           

Nerve Gas Part I

Should Have Had the Chicken Biriani Instead

I'm taking a break from theology and related philosophical conundrums to consider a topic rarely discussed: Nerve Gas.  

Today, the word GAS came into my fevered, tortured brain. For what reason, I have no cogent idea. Regardless, I regarded the intrusion as a sign. I'm at a loss as to where this random thought came from. A cluster of neurons firing in concert directed my mind to spit forth this word. Mayhap, an imbalance of neurotransmitters was to blame. The originator may have been the dodgy vindaloo the night before. There is little doubt that said comestible wreaked horrendous physiological havoc. The clue is ingrained in the name of the very curry itself! May Woden furnish me with frozen suppositories and give me strength to leave the bathroom. I digress. The upshot: Regardless, the very word GAS inspired me to put pen to paper and write furiously about the topic of Nerve Gas. I have already put forth a post concerning the use of gas in the Great War. It is undoubtedly a capital idea to read that post first.   

Mayhap, before considering the subject matter of the title, a little recap about the first use of gas in warfare will help.

By late 1914, the Western Front consisted of a double trench system stretching from the Belgian coast to the Swiss border. Defence had become irresistibly strong, and both sides sought ways to break the stalemate and restore mobility. A notable German chemist, Fritz Haber, suggested to the High Command that the impasse could be broken with the use of poisonous asphyxiating gases. Many in the military hierarchy were against its use on moral grounds. But more importantly, Germany was a signatory to an international agreement banning the use of asphyxiating gases in war. However, expediency and the grim reality of the war persuaded the High Command to unleash the 'Devil's Breath'.     

On the 22nd of April 1915 at 5pm, gas cylinders, containing chlorine gas, were opened in the German lines, and a favourable breeze drove the chlorine cloud toward the French and Algerian lines near Ypres in Belgium. Within 10 minutes, 5,700 cylinders released 160 tons of gas. I have considered the consequences of the action elsewhere. Suffice it to say that a 7-mile breach was blasted in the French trench line. This novel form of attack had taken the French completely by surprise. Within minutes, 1,400 soldiers were killed, and many more were injured. Although a success, the Germans were not prepared to exploit the situation to any significant extent, and the gap was quickly plugged by Canadian troops.  Although Haber was hailed as a hero in Germany, the adulation was marred by the suicide of his wife, Clara, who was also a chemist. She begged her husband to abandon the use of poisonous gas, but Haber would not relent, and Clara shot herself through the heart with Haber's military pistol on the 2nd of May 1915.  

Several months post the German attack, the British would reply in kind, again using chlorine. Soon, the belligerents relied on delivering the gas by artillery shell. Other noxious agents would follow, such as phosgene and mustard gas. Although gas was used extensively between April 1915 and the end of the war, casualty rates remained low, with a total death tally involving all combatants of about 100,000. However, many soldiers would suffer long-term effects long after the war had ended.  

Once a major technical innovation had been developed in warfare, it would remain, be improved and would alter the course of warfare in general. This has been the case for the development of tanks, submarines, aircraft, and aircraft carriers. Pandora's box could not be closed, and once discovered and refined, the new weapon would remain as an integral part of war. Gas, however, is the exception to the rule, well, mostly anyway.

Poison Gas Development 2.0

During the late 1930s, German chemists were conducting research on a group of chemicals called organophosphates. This research focused mainly on developing more effective insecticides to protect crops. One chemical was manufactured under the quaint designation Tabun (a German word for Taboo). This chemical proved to be highly effective as an insecticide. In fact, it proved too effective and was deemed too toxic for use. However, the German chemists were quick to discern that it might have a role in warfare and quickly reported this finding to the German authorities. The Germans had discovered a particularly potent agent soon to be called 'Nerve Gas'. This class of chemical had a different mode of action compared to the chemicals used in the Great War. These older agents acted by destroying lung tissue and/or causing burns. First off, Tabun was highly effective at very low doses. As little as 0.01 mg/kg is considered lethal. Also, it did not require inhalation to exert an effect. This chemical could be readily absorbed through the skin, rendering conventional gas masks ineffective. The Germans quickly realised the gas's potential as a weapon of war. Further, more effective agents were soon discovered (Sarin). By the time hostilities began in September 1939, the Germans had small stocks of these agents. As the war progressed, the Germans amassed great quantities of these nerve agents that could be easily dispensed by bomb or artillery barrage. So, the burning question is: Why didn't the Germans release these gases upon the enemy? This is interesting in view of Hitler's obsession with Wunderwaffe. This question, along with others, will be addressed in Part II.

Again, this post is turning into a 'Long Read', and thusly, in my infinite wisdom, I have decided to divide the subject matter into two posts to avoid 'Reader Fatigue'. Therefore, the conclusion will follow on the morrow. This follow-up will be a thrilling instalment filled with a personal anecdote, and a few hot Gypo flamenco dancers thrown in to tempt the lurid imagination of my readers. Hola!

Stay tuned for more informative material interspersed with insights into my tortured, forever wandering mind, scarcely reigned in and barely controlled by the author. I seek peace, rarely found. Pity me as I seek solace from a mind in churning, roiling turmoil. I seek comfort and freedom through the written word. It is but a temporary release. I crave a peace that is rarely found. Arse, big sore arse.

' 

The Final Gap Plugged. Post 2 of 2.

The second post has descended upon this platform with undeniable alacrity.

To maintain consistency and continuity, I respectfully request that the esteemed reader engage with this second post as soon as possible after reading the first. Hopefully, this will help with comprehension. It is to be remembered that the human brain is a vain and frail vessel and responds well to prompt succession, as an aid to ultimate understanding. Only then can a man succeed on the path to wisdom and, mayhap, enlightenment. Delay will foster mind lapse, and the connection between the two posts will be lost in a web of synapses that often misfire. Do not fall into the trap of delay and procrastination, as this will foster a slothful mind and, dare I say, a laggard, indolent countenance. Brook no delay and engage the posts in dogged sequence. Only a fool would digest the second before the first. Remain diligent for distractions and those who will divert you from my noble/ignoble composition. Remember, detractors and wastrels abound, ready to pounce and endeavour to veer you from your august literary quest. 

Some say I'm an unrequited genius. Why others aver that I'm a mad old man with a tenuous grip on reality who bothers check-out girls in Tesco. Only you can decide!

We have an evolutionary mechanism that thrives on waste and inefficiency. It is hard to square these problems with the Christian conception of god. Could god not have come up with a mechanism that negated universal suffering and waste? Mayhap god has limitations on his powers and must follow natural laws. This explanation does not sit well with the theologian, but they are unable to offer a solution that is satisfactory to both the biologist and the theologian.  

There is a common misconception that evolution is working toward 'perfection'. This would imply that evolution is somehow a directive process seeking a final goal. However, this is not the case; organisms are not optimal for many reasons. Often, structural limitations lead to suboptimal solutions for a specific function. Examples abound. Let us take the human body, for instance, and examine an anatomical feature that, from an engineering perspective, could be improved. I chose this particular example as it is the bane of many older men. Recently, I had a PSA test, due to my age, and luckily, I'm fine, for now.

The male prostate provides fluids for the ejaculate. It is a walnut-sized organ that surrounds the urethra, which conducts urine from the bladder to the outside. The prostate contributes nothing to the urinary process, yet there it sits. Unfortunately, not only is this organ prone to cancer in older men, but it also has a propensity to enlarge as we age, with the obvious adverse symptoms as it slowly strangles the urethra. Surely, god in his infinite wisdom and love could have devised an alternative anatomical location. A good engineer would have placed the prostate within the scrotal sac, next to the sacred/sacral testes. The products that leak from both organs act in concert to ensure the proliferation of the next generation. The prostate's position is notably sub-optimal. Why the prostate is positioned thusly is hard to fathom. Mayhap there was no selective pressure in the past to remedy the situation, as men did not live long enough to suffer the consequences of natural selection that could effect change. Perhaps it provides evidence that god is female with a wicked sense of humour. This example is just one of many instances where there is room for anatomical improvements in the human body. This is also true for many animal species. A quick Google search will reveal a plethora of such examples.

The above shows that evolution is capricious and often defies logical analysis. Optimisation is not a quest. Natural selection may produce a solution that, while not perfect, is good enough for the circumstances and purpose. The critical point to make is that if an Intelligent Designer had a role in the process, he did a piss poor job. In the final analysis, it makes it difficult to square theological evolution with naturalistic evolution. There is no need for a supernatural guiding hand, as nature has the whole situation covered. The theologian must either accept the evidence and suffer the consequences or retreat into the presbytery, and confront matters best suited to their temperament and intellect, and leave science to the scientists. What say ye?

I'll leave the last word to Darwin. Take note and heed.

“what a book a devil’s chaplain might write on the clumsy, wasteful, blundering low and horridly cruel works of nature!” & “there seems to be too much misery in the world. I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of Caterpillars, or that a cat should play with mice.” 

Fine words indeed, Mr D.

The Final Gap Plugged. Post 1 of 2.

In my wisdom, which, these days, is effectively infinite, I have decided to cut this post into two. The reason should not concern mere mortals like my readers. With that said, the folk who visit my blog are within the top strata regarding intellect. As for the rest of humanity: they see nothing, think nothing, and go about their petty, miserable existence with a smartphone permanently glued to their mortal frame. This blog is not for them- it is far from their ken. Pity them, for they have no comprehension of anything beyond the minutiae of life and the size and shape of Kim Kardashian's voluminous arse. Big fat, Arse.  However, I am a magnanimous, beneficent and clear-headed writer. On this occasion, I will deign to my readership's evident, blatant curiosity and thusly share a wheel in a cog of my restless, remorseless and often disjointed intellect.  

Anyway, for some baffling reason that eludes me, and is essentially inexplicable, my original work was deemed too long for a single posting. Under the guiding principle: 'TOO LONG, WON'T READ', I have made the painful decision to split my original post into two. As can be seen, the first thrilling instalment has been published today. Do not despair, and descend into a quivering state of wretched despond, for the second post will follow but 24 hours later. 

This post is another in the series of Evolution through the process of Natural Selection.  Today's post considers the disquiet that must logically exist between the scientific concept of evolution and theist imposition and interpretation of the same. It is also true that even educated lay folk have an incomplete understanding of how natural selection works and often harbour dangerous misconceptions. However, this is a topic for another day. This post will mainly deal with the tension and conflict that must logically exist between Theology and Evolution. Liberal theologians may embrace the concept but baulk at the implication that no guiding supernatural hand is required. And therein lies the problem. Has god left evolution to occur only by natural law, or has he had a guiding hand by miraculous action? Proponents of Intelligent Design (ID) believe that evolution is a fantasy of the scientific mind and that god is the cause of the existence of all we see. Both ideologies have their problematic issues. Let the lesson begin!

Let us tackle the ID argument first, as it is the easiest to discard. The problem is that the Intelligent Designer is assumed to be god, and a Christian god at that, often replete with white hair and a golden staff. The proposition is easy to state: complexity is attributed to the deity through unspecified mechanisms. In truth, no mechanism is stated because there is no mechanism. Arguments may be wrapped up in esoteric fluff, such as god's majesty or will, or profundity. This is typical theological sleight of hand. At the end of the misdirection, it still remains that an unknown, invisible entity exerts action by means unknown. This sort of drivel is full of logical holes and is unappealing to the rational mind.

The thinking theologian knows that Darwin's theory of evolution is a theory supported by a myriad of evidence from multiple sources. It has stood the test of time, and 160 years after its conception, it remains solid and underpins all that is biology. Also, the process can be explained exclusively by natural phenomena. No god needs to apply for a non-existent position, and this is deeply troubling for theistic evolutionists. Science has pushed god out of the natural world. Perhaps they clutch at the prospect that god had a hand in the formation of life, a provider of the initiating spark. While it is true that scientists have not figured out how the first proto-life came to be, they have made significant inroads into the problem. I'm confident that science will develop a rational, data-driven model of the ultimate process, given time.

It is an anathema to theistic thinking that god has had no role in life formation and progression. There seems little point to a passive deity that absolves all to capricious natural processes. Thus, they can't help but ponder that their beloved god is redundant and unemployed; surely he must be involved somewhere. As science hasn't worked out how life came forth from the mud, a waiting god is in the wings, ready to provide a miracle or two and, mayhap, a guiding hand as time goes by. 

There are many problems the thoughtful theologian must face if he truly accepts the concept of the 'all-loving,' 'all-powerful' god as true. Is Evolution through Natural Selection compatible with the conception of an 'all-loving', 'all-powerful' deity? Notwithstanding the logical issues inherent in these concepts and their contradictory implausibilities, would we expect this theological concept of the deity to be compatible with a mechanism that is immeasurably wasteful and cruel? Natural selection can only work through the death and/or non-reproduction of the majority of organisms. A testament to waste lies in the statistic that 99% of all species that have existed on Earth have gone extinct. Death by predation, disease and parasitisation are natural consequences of the evolutionary process. Consider the horror of the Ichneumonidae wasp as it lays a single egg in the humble caterpillar with implacable, remorseless indifference. After laying the egg, the developing larva devours the organs, in sequence, to ensure that the caterpillar does not die immediately. The wasp larva saves and savours the critical part of the caterpillar until last. The larva excavates the caterpillar, leaving but a hollowed husk (double redundancy, Flaxen!). During the feast, the poor caterpillar remains alive throughout, twitching and writhing in a macabre rhythmic dance of death. This is just one example of the horror repeated through time and geography throughout the natural world. How can this be reconciled with the all-loving god of Christianity? This problem parallels the general argument of the 'Problem of Evil'. This contradiction of god's nature has spawned a whole theological philosophy, called Theodicy. Clever believers throughout the ages have devised many schemes to explain why a benevolent deity allows evident evil. The explanations, although intricate and contrived, fail to provide a satisfactory account. The world is an evil, cruel and capricious existence. It is this observed and blatant injustice in this life that spurred the concept of an afterlife that eliminates pain; jam tomorrow, not today. A lie to keep the simple believers from revolting, 

Nuff said for now. The thrilling instalment will follow in just a thrice.