Spiritual Lessons from Biology

i recently heard about an experiment done on addiction.  Rats were placed alone in a cage with two water bottles.  One water bottle contained normal water. The other was laced with an addictive drug.  All of the rats in the study became obsessed with the laced water, and 9 out of 10 rats eventually killed themselves by overdosing.    Another scientist by the name of Bruce K. Alexander repeated this experiment in a social setting instead of solitary confinement.  Rats are highly social creatures, and Alexander hypothesized that their behavior would be different if they lived in a group setting instead of in isolation.  Alexander and his team got to work building the huge plywood complex.  Alexander writes in his essay: “[We filled it] with things that rats like, such as platforms for climbing, tin cans for hiding in, wood chips for strewing around, and running wheels for exercise. Naturally we included lots of rats of both sexes, and naturally t...

Spectacled Eider Ducks inhabit boggy tundra waters during the relative warmth of summer.   In winter the lakes freeze and the ducks vanish.   Until recently no one knew where the ducks went.   In the late 90’s localized patches were discovered across the frozen Arctic Ocean.   Upon further investigation, voilá, there were the Eider Ducks! It seems that the Eider Duck forms massive colonies by which their constant movement and body heat keep sea ice from forming.   The entire world population of Eider Duck can be found in only a dozen such colonies each winter.   By packing tightly together and keeping the ice at bay, Eider Ducks can dive all winter to find food where normally sea ice makes life impossible. This weekend i was invited to go “Extreme Sledding”.   i  wasn’t sure exactly what “Extreme Sledding” meant.   i  do now.   It’s basically like sledding but with more speed, more bruises, and a lot more fun.   Im...