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bending_sickleToday I went to a public lecture by Richard Leakey.
Who?
Born Dec. 19, 1944 in Nairobi, Kenya, Leakey is a politician, paleoanthropologist and conservationist. He is second of the three sons of the archaeologists Louis Leakey and Mary Leakey, and is the younger brother of Colin Leakey.
Paleontology: Amongst other findings is the Turkana Boy, discovered by Kamoya Kimeu, a member of Leakeys' team in 1984.
Conservation: In 1989 Richard Leakey was appointed the head of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Department (WMCD) by President Daniel arap Moi in response to the international outcry over the poaching of elephants and the impact it was having on the wildlife of Kenya. The department was replaced by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in 1990, and Leakey became its first chairman. [...] Richard Leakey's confrontational approach to the issue of human-wildlife conflict in national parks did not win him friends. [...] In 1993 Richard Leakey lost both his legs when his propeller-driven plane crashed. Sabotage was suspected but never proved.
Politics: In May 1995 Richard Leakey joined a group of Kenyan intellectuals in launching a new political party - the Safina Party, which in Swahili means "Noah's Ark." [...] The Safina party was routinely harassed and even its application to become an official political party was not approved until 1997.
In 1999, Moi had to appoint Richard Leakey as Cabinet Secretary and overall head of the civil service at the insistence of international donor institutions as a pre-condition for the resumption of donor funds. Leakey's second stint in the civil service lasted until 2001 when he was forced to resign again.
In April 2007 he was appointed interim chairman of Transparency International Kenya branch.
See Also:
Documentary: RLeakey, the Man Who Saved the Animals
Books: The Sixth Extinction; Man-Ape, Ape-Man: The Quest for Human's Place in Nature and Dubois' Missing Link (with LJSlikkerveer)
Why?
I've grown up knowing a smattering of the Leakeys. So long as I remember, I known about them as paleoanthropologists and have kept up on them whenever they made the news.
My mother went to a talk of RLeakey's in Nairobi, round about 1984-87. The suspected sabotage of his plane always pops up whenever we talk about him.
So I've not only known of them as figures and names and published research, but as people from my dear beloved first home. This was someone I'd had in my background knowledge all my life, who I was finally able to see.
He's also an important scientific and conservationist figure, one of those beloved links between science and your average citizen. Everyone else at the lecture was also really excited. I thought to myself, this must be what a con feels like.
You can imagine the squee when I learnt he was giving a talk. I may never have enjoyed a lecture so thoroughly.
What Was It Like?
Fantastic. Leakey is an extraordinary lecturer, mixing in humour with earnestness, political commentary and personal history. Everyone clapped their hearts out when he finished, and after each question.
The first question, posed by a Tanzanian PhD student (and good gods do I love the accent) was how to change the mind-set in Africa encouraged by evangelical christians who say, "God told us to multiply and fill the earth. Our country is not yet full, so why should we not have as many children as we can?" Leakey responded wonderfully, giving a variety of suggestions, noting first that it's not just religion encouraging the "Moar babies!" concept, but also hopelessnes and poverty and lack of education. When young people become more educated and begin their own families, they will "selfishly" want their children to enjoy the same benefits they had, and so, because raising a child is expensive, it will become apparent that to provide well you must provide for few. And anyway, children are blessings, but you can always tell the Father, "God hasn't blessed me with children in many years" but just not quite tell him the details. We all clapped frightfully hard after that answer.
What Was It About?
Broad Implications of Climate Change in East Africa in Terms of Human and Animal Futures, a public lecture under the auspices of the LEAD Program of the Natural Herbarium, Faculty of Science, Leiden University. Introduction by Dr. L Jan Slikkerveer
"...dismissing climate change simply as the 'waffle of scientists'..."
"Whatever the causes, climate change is upon us."
Climate change can reach a tipping-point, beyond which massive changes occur quickly, rather than the usual century- and millenia-speed.
The latest climate change had a "fundamental and lasting impact" on mankind: the adoption of agriculture and domestication.
"Climate change creates circumstances that will lead to the ending of our current way of life."
Regarding over-consumption: "The bottom line has to be, there are too many poeple on the planet."
In the coming decades, for the first time in over 15,000 years, there will be no ice on the Kilimanjaro or Mt. Kenya. "You don't have to be a rocket scientist" to realize why the ice is melting.
"We have created in these sanctuaries [national parks, reserves, etc.] islands [...]. They [species] can't get off. [...] Many species will not be able to survive in those parks or get out of those parks [...]."
"We're loking at an unmitigated disaster in the face and we're still arguing over who's fault it is."
Lake Turkana has dropped 10 meters in Leakey's own lifetime. "And yet we cannot conceive of the sea level changing?"
On the possible climate change and consequences of said change: "The funny thing, and the terrible thing, is that nobody is looking."
On ex situ conservation, including gene and seed banks: "Is it not the time to be thinking of dramatic measures?"
"What are then chances...? [...] In terms of 100 years, yes it can be done. [...] Surely it is realistic to project as far forward as we can look back [~ 100 years]."
Younger generations "must begin to insist that it is their future, not [the politician's next term] which is at stake."
He is "highly impressed by the power of advocacy and education."
"We are no longer educating enough people in the potential of science to solve problems."
Fundalism, "the paranoia and fear of science", is not due to the rejection of evolution, but the rejection of human evolution. [...] The rejection of science and the fear of science is related in part to [Darwin and co's "we are part of the evolutionary process" assertion]."
"We fear evolution because we worship a god [and believe we were made in his image]. What if you change the image?"
All people living today are related to the standing human or hominid population 65,000 years. This is the time when syntactic speech and the cognitive ability for the abstract began. There was no climate change event. Other people who co-existed at that time with our ancestors are not found in the human genome. "Chimpanzees have a greater historic diversity than we do."
"If we are going to address climate change, we have got to communicate it."
"Whether or not we are headed for extinction? No, I don't think so."
"Evolution for us ended long ago." Evolution requires a small, isolated populations. "Does it still affect us? Yes." There are still short-generation organisms, like viruses, which can use evolution with us. Those will "eventually cause the biggest dent in our egos" but not our extinction.
"Ultimately, many people should have one [child], and many people should have none."
African proverb: "No condition is permanent."
"If we don't try, we will not succeed. If we do try, perhaps."
"Kenya is considered one of the rich - or one of the better-organized - African countries."
"An admission of failure is not necessarily pejorative: it's realistic."
On his disappointment of the discovery that there is no Neanderthal DNA in the human genome: "I used to adore traveling to large airports, and I could see them."
The Canary islands have a volcano "that will, not may, will" drop off, creating a 15 m tsunami that will reach the whole eastern coast of North America four hours later, with a ~ 10 m wave.
"I would hate to see the world that I know disappear because we were stupid."
About the need to learn how to express yourself fully before expressing yourself with text messages and the like: "We're being very stupid about the way we're teaching people about communications."
"Until we become personally responsible for our actions [...] we're going to wallow along making mistakes."
After months of scrolling past fanfic posts in my flist, barely even scanning the newletters, I'm back in the Itching For Fic Couch. And, of course, it's SPN. Oh, show, how I love you: you make me laugh hysterically (for that, a thousand thanks) and give me a delicious side-order of angsty fucked-up characters. How could I say no?
Oh, and because apparently it has to be said: I'm fine with Wincest**. (But then, I'm fine with CSI*** in Firefly, so no surprise there.) There's some amazingly good fics out there. *updates Fanfic List of Looove*
ETA: A word on the 'cest: I like reading it, not watching it. I don't see it on screen, not even with super-charged slash goggles. But reading well-written fics that just happen to be 'cest? I'm game. (Mainly because of the mindfuck, angst, and the all-around incredibly strong emotions involved.)
I've been YouTubeing Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki interviews and convention appearances. They're adorable!
Also? I'm developing a major back fetish.
Music Video of the Day: David Usher, "The Music" - Amazing cinematography! Followed directly by "Ugly is Beautiful"
Quotes of the Day:
Last night is sort of a blur. I couldn't stay awake, until I tried to fall asleep.
-greygirlbeast
Nothing I've ever found has contradicted the Bible. It's people with their finite minds who misread the Bible.
— Louis Leakey
Links of the Day:
Supernatural:
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crack_impala - Fanfic Recsdana_chosenart - Dean/Buffy stuffJenselacklesweb.com - Gallery available
Screencap Paradise: SPN
SPN Caps
French SPN Website - D'aww, there's a Jared&Jensen Amitie folder ♥
chash's Review 4x10Fanfic Recs post 4x10
audrarose's RPF (AU) Fanfic: So Close to My Heart (Jared/Jensen) - How this can be RPF and AU where the people aren't living their current lives boggles me, so I just read it like original fiction with pretty faces in my head. It flippin' rocked.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-syndicated.gif){kind=small}
leonidaslion's Fanfic: Plausible Denial (Sam/Dean) - Part of The Suit!Versefleshflutter's Mini-Nano Fanfic: Dark Side of the Moonconcernedlily's Fanfic: Informed Consent (Sam/Dean)philalethia's Fanfic: Coast on Through (Sam/Dean)esorlehcar's Rumination on the Sam&Dean concept and an Adorable 3x11 Mystery Spot Review (with follow-up Fanfic Recs) - How an episode based on such a distressing and emotionally destroying concept can be this hilarious is beyond me. Groundhog Day a la SPN! With death(s)!teand's Fanfic: Familiar Admonishments (Daddy Winchester/Dean Winchester) A/N: I've always said that I just write the stories I have to tell. I know, pretty much exactly where this came from: a request for a story, the brilliant fulfillment of that request causing my thoughts to go in other directions, an argument about incest, someone's comment that Dean fills the role of the mother in the triad, and the knowledge that defining your self worth with sex is something that has to be learned at an early age.
This story has been referred to as "The story no one in fandom will read." by three separate people, one of whom then added, "or will admit to having read." Not because it's bad or particularly graphic but because it's... disturbing.
Doctor Who:
wulfae's Popup Who Bookarabian's Happily Ever After, Rusty-Style - A/N: Why I believe that Ten is happy now despite the devastating end to his arc in Journey's End - Includes YouTubeEmbed Preview of The New Doctorhllangel's Fanvid: I Know Him So Well (Torchwood/Doctor Who)roirokd's Macro Videos of Win! - Includes Banana Phone!Heroes:
aelora's Heroes 3x10 ReviewNeil Gaiman:
Splashpage.mtv.com's Neil Gaiman On The ‘Obscenity’ Of Manga Collector Christopher Handley’s Trial - " 'I wrote a story about a serial killer who kidnaps and rapes children, and then murders them,'Gaiman said, referring to a storyline in “The Doll’s House.” “We did that as a comic, not for the purposes of titillation or anything like that, but if you bought that comic, you could be arrested for it?"
Random: (Includes Multifandom Icons)
jenni_the_odd goes to a psychic. Hilarity ensues.r0k0's heroes, Lost and Merlin Iconscrazy_pill's 30 Rock (Animated), Harry Potter (Snape, Bad!Fic Quotes), Dexter IconsChinese Restaurant's Translation Faaaaiiiiiil!
wtf_nature: Mimic Octopus
Shark's Feasting on Whale Corpse
The Pangolin - "Have you ever seen a pangolin walk? They trundle along on their hind legs, bent impossibly far forward, looking more like claymation creations than anything natural."
Christian the Lion Re-United With Human Foster Parents (Full Video without the sappy music)
* RLeakey, Nov. 25, 2008
** If that's not your cup of tea, there's some lovely coffee over there. No need to hit me with the kettle. Play nice.
*** Crazy Space Incest
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no subject
Date: 2008-11-27 12:48 am (UTC)I also want some of that back... your fetish just may be contagious =D
no subject
Date: 2008-11-27 09:26 am (UTC)Also, look at that face! (http://www.screencap-paradise.com/caps/albums/Series/Supernatural/SN_s1/SN103/thumb_Supernatural103_031.jpg)
no subject
Date: 2008-11-28 04:15 am (UTC)