Oct 03 2009
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“ The short answer is that the genetic dates and tree fit the early exodus well. This also resolves the question about the origins of the Europeans: why it was that Europe was colonized only after 50,000 years ago, yet arose from the same maternal ancestor as the Australians and Asians.
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“ It is currently not known where human populations were living at the time of the eruption. The simplest scenario would be that all the survivors were populations living in Africa, whose descendants would go on to populate the world. However, recent archeological finds, mentioned above, have suggested that a human population may have survived in India. Dating of early human migrations cannot yet give a conclusive answer to this question. Recent analyses of mitochondrial DNA have set the estimate for the major migration from Africa from 60,000 to 70,000 years ago,[15] whereas the Toba eruption has been dated to 75,500–67,500 years ago. Either from Africa or from South Asia, during the following tens of thousands of years the surviving populations would populate Australia, East Asia, Europe and finally the Americas.
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Suite à une remarque faite au cours du colloque sur le Néolithique à la cité des Sciences (écouté en podcast).
Aug 22 2009
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“ Foucault propose en effet une étude décapante du cynisme ancien comme philosophie pratique, athlétisme de la vérité, provocation publique, souveraineté ascétique. Le scandale de la vraie vie est alors construit comme s’opposant au platonisme et à son monde transcendant de Formes intelligibles.
Jul 28 2009
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“ When asked to perform a series of motions in order to get a treat out of a box, the human child will copy the adult’s motions exactly. The ape copies the motions as well, until the box is replaced with a translucent version. Once it is, the ape realizes that half of the motions are pointless and takes a shortcut to get the treat; children, on the other hand, continue to do the meaningless motions that they were taught.
May 28 2009
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“ KASHGAR, China — A thousand years ago, the northern and southern branches of the Silk Road converged at this oasis town near the western edge of the Taklamakan Desert. Traders from Delhi and Samarkand, wearied by frigid treks through the world’s most daunting mountain ranges, unloaded their pack horses here and sold saffron and lutes along the city’s cramped streets. Chinese traders, their camels laden with silk and porcelain, did the same.
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“ Preservationists say the demolition of the Old City section of Kashgar, top, is a blow to China’s Islamic and Uighur culture. But work has already begun, center, to raze about 85 percent of the area.
