Mary, Susan:
Quick response (I need to get out of here before the
computer shuts down).
"Survival of the planet" - There is entropy, which, as you say,
will eventually cause this planet to "die." The interesting thing
about life is that it defies entropy. Order out of chaos.
"r type and k type organisms" - based on a section called
"Selection Pressure: Quantity vs. Quality" in Odum's "Fundamentals
of Ecology." I don't think it could used as a definition of
intelligence, but k types are certainly more complex than r types.
(Another interesting thing about life - it gets more complex as
time goes on.) Certain environments favor r types (e.g., petri
dishes), others favor k types (e.g., forests). There we go - turn
the planet into a petri dish...
Physical differences - okay, I'm learning. (That groin thing
certainly opens one's eyes.) But, call me sexist (I prefer
chivalrous), I still think women should stay out of hand-to-hand
combat. And I open doors for them, too.
Al
