The Purpose of Humans?

[Tadpole]

My back door looks out over fields full of cows ( i'll post a pic if you like) if it is a myth then the cows must believe it too.

They also form a circle around a telegraph post ( about 100 of them) and walk up one by one and touch it with their nose, then get back in the circle until they are all done then leave together.

You can tell me thats not true too. They do it often though and i havbe seen it dozens of times with my own eyes so it matters not what you say.

But and it's a huge but, what does it prove, you’ve seen cows touching wood, that is all.
I've been a fisherman since I was 8 and have spent hundreds of rainy days by rivers and lakes, in fields filled to the gunnels with cows, and half the time the cows will not all be doing the same thing twice in a row, More than that, a group of cows may be doing different things, standing in the rain, or in the river or next to a wire fence or under a hedge or tree, or even wandering hither thither and yon, as the rain fell. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve seen cows stood in a field in the pouring rain and then lay down as the sun came out.
You may as well say Cows eat grass when it rains unless they don’t and if they don’t eat grass they will.

Humans like patterns, they like order, that is how all the Optical illusions work, the human brain has evolved to see/recognise patterns even when there is none. We see things that are only there because we wish that they are. Often we mistake the human biological imperative, for all kinds of things.
Love for example Love is just a biological imperative to reproduce and pass on the genes, The chemicals involved are not that uncommon, testosterone, dopamine norpenephrin, vasopressin, oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin. .

 

[locum76]

For example, the trees shed their leaves 2 month earlier last year than the previous 4 years( where i live), there was also an abundance of fruit( we have many berry trees round our house (elder, hawthorn, blackberry, holly etc). The winter was also worse than the previous 4.

um, last year there was a few threads on this very site bemoaning the lack of berries. the year before folks were talking about the bountiful mast year when the winter was much warmer.

http://195.74.53.116/forum/showthread.php?t=33454&highlight=sloes (for example, 2008 poor sloe yield).

as someone said early on in this thread, perhaps our purpose as humans is to apply mystical meanings to random events?

 

[Goatboy]

Love for example Love is just a biological imperative to reproduce and pass on the genes, The chemicals involved are not that uncommon, testosterone, dopamine norpenephrin, vasopressin, oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin. .

Steady on old chap...

I love my dog ( would save him over most), and I love some of my friends. But there's no way I'm passing on any genes with them... no sirree!!!


GB

 

[Tadpole]

Steady on old chap...

I love my dog ( would save him over most), and I love some of my friends. But there's no way I'm passing on any genes with them... no sirree!!!


GB

not you sir, but google furries

 

[HillBill]

I still think that that result could just be because of the good weather in Summer.
The corollary would be that if we have a bad Summer do the leaves stay longer on the trees and is Winter milder ?

I do know that I have enormous crops of fruit coming with this beautiful weather, yet the leaves on the bushes I've stripped are already turning red and tired looking. The roses have gone over really fast, the elderflowers were barely out but they were gone to seed, same with hawthorn and weld. I think it's the long spell of good weather.

cheers,
Toddy

On the first point, i'm not sure. My observations so far show, the earlier onset of winter the more berries on the trees. But in the 4 years i mentioned where the leaves fell late the summers were bad lots of wet augusts/crop faliures but the winters were mild with not much snow ( again, where i live)

On your second point, long spell of good weather would make things grow better, but they would hold fruit for longer i think early seeding could also mean short autumn long hard winter, as i said, it will be interesting to see what does happen.

As an aside,
Our soft fruits are going well too, we have had loads of raspberrys and blueberries so far, outdoor toms are doing well too

 

[HillBill]

um, last year there was a few threads on this very site bemoaning the lack of berries. the year before folks were talking about the bountiful mast year when the winter was much warmer.

http://195.74.53.116/forum/showthread.php?t=33454&highlight=sloes (for example, 2008 poor sloe yield).

as someone said early on in this thread, perhaps our purpose as humans is to apply mystical meanings to random events?

I did say where i lived, and what i saw myself, areas will be different i should imagine

 

[Toddy]

No, I find the good weather makes my fruit ripen and drop almost before I have time to gather it. I'm racing the blackbirds just now for the loganberries, the apples are weeks ahead growth wise of the size they are in a cooler summer, and the blackcurrant are ripe now, and I mean dropping off the bush as I pick, ripe ...........absolutely lovely too

cheers,
Toddy

 

[HillBill]

But and it's a huge but, what does it prove, you’ve seen cows touching wood, that is all.
I've been a fisherman since I was 8 and have spent hundreds of rainy days by rivers and lakes, in fields filled to the gunnels with cows, and half the time the cows will not all be doing the same thing twice in a row, More than that, a group of cows may be doing different things, standing in the rain, or in the river or next to a wire fence or under a hedge or tree, or even wandering hither thither and yon, as the rain fell. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve seen cows stood in a field in the pouring rain and then lay down as the sun came out.
You may as well say Cows eat grass when it rains unless they don’t and if they don’t eat grass they will.

Humans like patterns, they like order, that is how all the Optical illusions work, the human brain has evolved to see/recognise patterns even when there is none. We see things that are only there because we wish that they are. Often we mistake the human biological imperative, for all kinds of things.
Love for example Love is just a biological imperative to reproduce and pass on the genes, The chemicals involved are not that uncommon, testosterone, dopamine norpenephrin, vasopressin, oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin. .

I agree it doesn't prove anything, other than unusual habits for the cows i can see. I can't explain why they do it, my guess would be an attraction to the current running through it. indicating senses we don't have. They do not do this with the couple of trees in the field so it isn't wood they do it for.

Things do work in patterns/cycles mate, the tides, the moon phases, the seasons, day and night so looking for patterns is not unusual nor wrong especially when looking for patterns in nature as they are always there. The mayans used cycles to count the rotation of the zodiacs 26000 year orbit, moon phases etc. They are only out by 33 seconds after thousands of years, they followed natural patterns and accurately mapped them. look at us now, we have to adjust our calendar by a day every 4 years.

Who do you think looked at the right patterns?

 

[locum76]

No, I find the good weather makes my fruit ripen and drop almost before I have time to gather it. I'm racing the blackbirds just now for the loganberries, the apples are weeks ahead growth wise of the size they are in a cooler summer, and the blackcurrant are ripe now, and I mean dropping off the bush as I pick, ripe ...........absolutely lovely too

cheers,
Toddy

yup, we stripped the blackcurrant bushes today and got a HUGE amount of fruit, the best ever in fact. it will be rendered to a fine jelly very soon. Blackcurrants NEED a cold winter (previously) to give a good yield though.

Since this thread has taken a horticultural turn, how is the coriander toddy?
(hope you don't mind this minor thread hijack HB )

 

[HillBill]

No, I find the good weather makes my fruit ripen and drop almost before I have time to gather it. I'm racing the blackbirds just now for the loganberries, the apples are weeks ahead growth wise of the size they are in a cooler summer, and the blackcurrant are ripe now, and I mean dropping off the bush as I pick, ripe ...........absolutely lovely too

cheers,
Toddy

The elder behind our house are still small and green and the blackberries are similar, lots of them though.

 

[locum76]

I agree it doesn't prove anything, other than unusual habits for the cows i can see. I can't explain why they do it, my guess would be an attraction to the current running through it. indicating senses we don't have. They do not do this with the couple of trees in the field so it isn't wood they do it for.

Things do work in patterns/cycles mate, the tides, the moon phases, the seasons, day and night so looking for patterns is not unusual nor wrong especially when looking for patterns in nature as they are always there. The mayans used cycles to count the rotation of the zodiacs 26000 year orbit, moon phases etc. They are only out by 33 seconds after thousands of years, they followed natural patterns and accurately mapped them. look at us now, we have to adjust our calendar by a day every 4 years.

Who do you think looked at the right patterns?

I'd wager that the cows are licking the pole for some sort of salt that they can't get from the bark of the living trees.

 

[HillBill]

yup, we stripped the blackcurrant bushes today and got a HUGE amount of fruit, the best ever in fact. it will be rendered to a fine jelly very soon. Blackcurrants NEED a cold winter (previously) to give a good yield though.

Since this thread has taken a horticultural turn, how is the coriander toddy?
(hope you don't mind this minor thread hijack HB )

Hey i'm a grower too (small scale) its all good. this thread can go wherever it likes, only about 10% of it is on topic with OP lol. Whatever gives people something to talk about is good for me.

 

[HillBill]

I'd wager that the cows are licking the pole for some sort of salt that they can't get from the bark of the living trees.

Possibly, it's not something i had thought of tbh. I do know the posts are treated. Got to taste gammy.

 

[Pict]

"Love for example Love is just a biological imperative to reproduce and pass on the genes, The chemicals involved are not that uncommon, testosterone, dopamine norpenephrin, vasopressin, oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin. ."

That's like dissecting an oyster before you eat it.

Mac

 

[stevec038]

Sounds like the question from an environmental philosophy class. "Which is more natural, a beaver making a dam, or a human building a skyscraper?" Both are doing what they know how to do. Each sees it in their own context. Neither is right. Neither is wrong. It's what they do.

 

[British Red]

I have a recipe for blue string soup, I invented it when my two were at playgroup, but you need to be able to make your own spaghetti.
M

Right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thats IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I can put up with nihilism. I can put up with arguments about the existence of DOG (did you hear about the agnositc insomniac? He lies awake at night debating the existing of DOG)

But that is just plain too much!

Its blue string PUDDING ***

Soup comes from the soup dragon who mines it from the soup wells!

Blue string is consumed in the form of pudding

Look - we can get the trivial stuff about celestial old blokes with beards wrong, but by the light of the iron chicken, let us please at least keep the facts straight!




Red

 

[Goatboy]

Right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thats IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I can put up with nihilism. I can put up with arguments about the existence of DOG (did you hear about the agnositc insomniac? He lies awake at night debating the existing of DOG)

But that is just plain too much!

Its blue string PUDDING ***

Soup comes from the soup dragon who mines it from the soup wells!

Blue string is consumed in the form of pudding

Look - we can get the trivial stuff about celestial old blokes with beards wrong, but by the light of the iron chicken, let us please at least keep the facts straight!




Red

Ah good ol' Red, makes me weep with laughter.

 

[Goatboy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NppQ4vY8UmY
enjoy, it;s bushcraft clangers trying to make a machine!!!

 

[Goatboy]

Was it just me or did you understand every whistle that the Clangers made as a kid... Even now I'm understanding it... Oh dear, maybe one rum to many.
GB

 

[Glen]

Saying cows lie down before it rains, without qualifying a time scale for the rain to happen within, is just saying cows sometimes lie down and that sometimes it rains.

As for a purpose? I don't think there is one for humanity, though that doesn't exclude humans from making ones for themselves.