This seems like a reasonable hypothesis for a child to make: Whales live in the water, they swim around, they’re vaguely fish-shaped, with a fish-like bulbous head, fishy fins and a fish-like tail.
A cartwright [is a person who repairs wagons and wagon wheels].
This essay did not go where I thought you were going to go!
It did make me measure my thumb, though (.75 of an inch, so basically a fish).
I was also surprised you didn't touch on the fact that fish don't exist. (Obviously, bony fishes exist, but "fish" is not a useful specialist concept, as it basically means "things that are usually under water, and look or move or otherwise function in ways that give 'fishy' vibes, rather than 'nonfishy' vibes, even though these things we call fish are not even remotely related", a definition which could absolutely include whales.)
Anyway, enjoyable read, and I especially liked the Pareto Front visualization!
(More random thoughts... do bacteria have a parent? Is that concept even applicable to them? Are you including viruses in your definition of biological organism? I love how complicated dividing stuff is. Have you read 'Every Living Thing' (about Linnaeus and Buffon) yet?)
My gut reaction is that bacteria have a parent if you accept that identity is a social construct: Are you still you if every cell in your body has died and been replaced with new cells, Ship-of-Theseus style? If identity is a social construct, we can say that we have one bacteria acting as the parent, and then that identity disappears and we have two new identities, daughters, when it splits.
I have not read Every Living Thing. Sounds like I should check it out, thank you!
A cartwright [is a person who repairs wagons and wagon wheels].
This essay did not go where I thought you were going to go!
It did make me measure my thumb, though (.75 of an inch, so basically a fish).
I was also surprised you didn't touch on the fact that fish don't exist. (Obviously, bony fishes exist, but "fish" is not a useful specialist concept, as it basically means "things that are usually under water, and look or move or otherwise function in ways that give 'fishy' vibes, rather than 'nonfishy' vibes, even though these things we call fish are not even remotely related", a definition which could absolutely include whales.)
Anyway, enjoyable read, and I especially liked the Pareto Front visualization!
(More random thoughts... do bacteria have a parent? Is that concept even applicable to them? Are you including viruses in your definition of biological organism? I love how complicated dividing stuff is. Have you read 'Every Living Thing' (about Linnaeus and Buffon) yet?)
My gut reaction is that bacteria have a parent if you accept that identity is a social construct: Are you still you if every cell in your body has died and been replaced with new cells, Ship-of-Theseus style? If identity is a social construct, we can say that we have one bacteria acting as the parent, and then that identity disappears and we have two new identities, daughters, when it splits.
I have not read Every Living Thing. Sounds like I should check it out, thank you!