- Joined
- Nov 20, 2002
- Messages
- 1,073
Does anyone remember that old line about how after a nuclear war there would be nothing left but cockroaches and Cher? Well, we may have to amend that one -- sort of.
A few nights ago I was watching a show on the SCIENCE CHANNEL which dealt with the origins of the Moon, and how Earth would've been affected if the Moon had not existed. Apparently there is a theory that during the formation of the Solar System, the Earth was hit by a "rogue planet" called Orpheus, which drastically changed the face of our planet and caused a big chunk of the colliding planets to break off, the chunk being our one-and-only natural satellite.
According to this theory, before the collision with Orpheus, Earth's surface was almost entirely covered by water, with only the tops of the highest mountain ranges forming dry land. A scientist -- whose name I forget -- was interviewed and asked what direction evolution would have taken if Orpheus had never hit the Earth. She speculated that in such a case, the species which would have evolved into the dominant intelligent life form (like Homo sapiens), would've been the most intelligent aquatic invertebrates -- i.e., in her own words, cephalopods.
This gives rise to all sorts of fascinating "what ifs". For instance, "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" would have been about some poor innocent Cephalo sapiens being hunted down by a mob of hideous mammals. And we'd all be sitting around in our comfy submarine lairs, typing on waterproof organic keyboards with all our tentacles about how clever our pet pygmy shrews have been acting in their little motorized air-domes.
And, of course, listening to laser-etched paua-shell CDs of "Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves"....
A few nights ago I was watching a show on the SCIENCE CHANNEL which dealt with the origins of the Moon, and how Earth would've been affected if the Moon had not existed. Apparently there is a theory that during the formation of the Solar System, the Earth was hit by a "rogue planet" called Orpheus, which drastically changed the face of our planet and caused a big chunk of the colliding planets to break off, the chunk being our one-and-only natural satellite.
According to this theory, before the collision with Orpheus, Earth's surface was almost entirely covered by water, with only the tops of the highest mountain ranges forming dry land. A scientist -- whose name I forget -- was interviewed and asked what direction evolution would have taken if Orpheus had never hit the Earth. She speculated that in such a case, the species which would have evolved into the dominant intelligent life form (like Homo sapiens), would've been the most intelligent aquatic invertebrates -- i.e., in her own words, cephalopods.
This gives rise to all sorts of fascinating "what ifs". For instance, "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" would have been about some poor innocent Cephalo sapiens being hunted down by a mob of hideous mammals. And we'd all be sitting around in our comfy submarine lairs, typing on waterproof organic keyboards with all our tentacles about how clever our pet pygmy shrews have been acting in their little motorized air-domes.
And, of course, listening to laser-etched paua-shell CDs of "Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves"....
there are plenty of theories on how the moon was formed, but they all seem to have one fault or another... i am curious as to how the lack of a satellite wouldve influenced things (no tides etc.) as for our musical tastes, if we were aquatic (or moreso for certain ones among us) wouldnt we be listening to "Gupies, Crabs and Teuthis" ?
)
