Sunday, September 8, 2013

Two recent obsessions


 Neighborhood spot for contemplating infinity, Atlantic Ave, Crown Heights, 2013

These two things have been on my mind constantly since I read about them:

1. A time capsule from 100 years ago opened in Oklahoma
People from the past always seem like little kids, don't they?

2. We're no more closely related to our 12-generations-back forefathers than we are to strangers
I've spent so much time worrying and wondering about my distant family. I thought knowing something about them would teach me something about myself. It blows my mind how quickly the genetic relations fade.

And this: "In 2004, statistician Joseph Chang, computer scientist Douglas Rohde, and writer Steve Olson used a computer model of human genetics to show that anyone who was alive 2,000-3,000 years ago is either the ancestor of everyone who’s now alive, or no one at all."

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