evolution

“Conceivably, racial prejudice could be interpreted as an irrational generalization of a kin-selected tendency to identify with individuals physically resembling oneself, and to be nasty to individuals different in appearance.”

—Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene

I was dreaming about writing this when I heard that all too familiar high-pitched whizzing buzz pass over my ear. I suppose it was an advantage that I got three more mosquito bites after the first one that had woken me from the itching. The extra bites really reminded me of the wonderful times I have had been woken repeatedly in the middle of the night courtesy of a flock of mosquitoes residing in my bedroom.

Yes, summer isn’t summer in Korea until you get your first bite at 2am and spend the next forty-five minutes chasing the tiny black vampire around the bedroom with whatever suitable implement comes to hand. Coming from Ireland, we have nothing like mosquitoes, in fact I didn’t even realise that there were ants in Ireland until last year. Korea, is not so lucky.

As one half of a married couple, who has reconciled himself to the fact of his own genetic extinction, “Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (VHEMT)” is perhaps the most unfortunate name for a social movement I’ve ever come across.

OTOH, I like Mike Treder’s distinction between mimetic and sexual reproduction.