Thank you, Stumbleupon

[Alissa of Someday]

Ran across this article, and I found it interesting...
...
Heh--You know how all those movies that you watched as a kid like to impress the importance of the circle of life and whatnot, though? They are calling to me from deep within my childhood memories that these things are abominations...XD

[Mitera Nikkou]

I have no such thing from my childhood. Mwa-ha-ha! I'm of the mind that this could have been the better path of evolution, instead of the development of the sexes.

[Alissa of Someday]

Heh. I wonder what a society with only one species known to exist (at all) would be like? 'Twould be interesting to see.

[Mitera Nikkou]

I doubt there could ever be just one species. If that were the case, the bacteria that began life on Earth as we know it wouldn't have developed into what we have today. However, that doesn't mean that we can't have multiple species that aren't reliant upon each other for survival. It would be the ultimate lone wolf system, which would be ideal for someone like me.

[Helel]

Ran across this article, and I found it interesting...
...
Heh--You know how all those movies that you watched as a kid like to impress the importance of the circle of life and whatnot, though? They are calling to me from deep within my childhood memories that these things are abominations...XD

Meanwhile, I want to look at that genome a bit better and see what it could be used for. Pretty nifty if you ask me, if those bacteria could be put to some use for various medical fields.

[Alissa of Someday]

True enough--not sure about the 'lone wolf' bit, though. I mean, I don't think that the species being able to survive by itself necessitates that the individual would be able to...really, actually, since they'd be sharing a planet, this scenario could be a lot like ours--squabbling as groups over resources. Maybe it would be more...racially charged, I guess?

@Helel: It's definitely a thought---the article mentioned trying to send them to other planets, but as far as I know, these creatures are unique in their independence as a group, so surely something could be found out from them, one would think.

[Helel]

@Helel: It's definitely a thought---the article mentioned trying to send them to other planets, but as far as I know, these creatures are unique in their independence as a group, so surely something could be found out from them, one would think.

In that regard, I can see them being used to perhaps stabilize environments, if they can multiple enough (which bacteria are pretty good at). That and the whole testing if life can survive in odd environments on other planets as mentioned.

I kinda wish that article would talk more about the specific environment of the gold mine a bit more...

[Alissa of Someday]

Hm...Not too much more information, but I found the wikipedia article on 'em

[Mitera Nikkou]

True enough--not sure about the 'lone wolf' bit, though. I mean, I don't think that the species being able to survive by itself necessitates that the individual would be able to...really, actually, since they'd be sharing a planet, this scenario could be a lot like ours--squabbling as groups over resources. Maybe it would be more...racially charged, I guess?

Assuming that racial fighting is genetic. Otherwise, if it's a matter of enlightenment, only the stupid would rationalize the need to be against other races simply because they're another race. If it's just a simple case of necessity underlying their fighting, then what would be the difference from now?

Besides, this kind of bacteria has survived by itself, which is the basis that proves that lone wolves have a chance to be as successful. I'll just nickname it the lone wolf bacteria, for the fun of it. ;p

[Alissa of Someday]

Could be, could be--still, if several races evolved independently somehow, I'm afraid I see it as likely that one of them at least could have problem--more's the pity...

[Mitera Nikkou]

I think it'd be fine. For instance, they manage without depending on each other, like sexual species have to do. Each one might as well be their own species, since they'd be independent. So if there's any problem it will probably be rooted between themselves rather than with other species. But since this bacteria isn't committing mass individualistic civil genocide, I don't think there would be much to worry about.

[Alissa of Someday]

Well...I don't think that the microbes here are really sentient or sapient--I could be wrong, of course--but it seems a bit early to say whether they would war, before they can really think...

[Mitera Nikkou]

Not necessarily. Even things that are that small can act. It doesn't require thought to act upon, or react to, things. It's quite fundamental, chemically. For instance, when microbes enter our body (even viruses, for that matter, even though they're not considered to be alive), a series of chemical actions and reactions take place. You might say a war is waged between the body and the microbe. And in many cases micro-organisms can overcome a multi-celled organism such as ourselves.

Most (if not all) of our own actions and reactions are rooted in chemicals. Just because we can think doesn't make us superior, or the only ones capable to do basic things that, with our mind, we have relegated (and wrongly so) to certain concepts as beyond other things that can't think. Bees are a good example of a social structure without what we consider to be "thought." But chemicals are a universal language, for us, the bees and the micro-organisms.

Chemically-speaking, I think they could war against each other if their own chemical make-up dictated it. But if that were the case it probably would have been noticed right away, in their behavior, so... All seems fine, to me.

[Alissa of Someday]

Not quite what I meant--of course they can act--I'm just not convinced that, if they evolved the capability for thought, then peace would necessarily remain...

[Mitera Nikkou]

But peace is just a made up concept. Peace and war exist independent of thought, so...