One was about a Polynesian, Tupaia, who assisted Captain Cook on his first voyage of the South Pacific. Tupaia navigated the Endeavour to several islands with out referring to a map or instruments. As he did this, officers and sailors would ask him to point the away back to Tahiti. Each time the islander would point in the correct direction without use of a compass or sextant.
I smile thinking of the Royal Navy bristling with the 18th century's newest, technological navigational advances, befuddled by this half-naked savage's mastery of the vast Pacific. His understanding of ocean currents, wind, weather and the stars showed ingenuity and intelligence. Nothing amuses me more that the comeuppance of the arrogant.
The other addressed our insatiable curiosity into what lies over the horizon. Our closest ancestor, the Neanderthal, spent 100,000 years (give or take a millennia) in Europe and central Asia. Yet in 50,000 years, homo sapiens had migrated to every part of the planet. Why?As scientists probe deeper into the human genome, interesting hypotheses arise. A DNA variant, DRD4-7R is thought to stimulate our wanderlust. Those with this strand are never satisfied with the here. They desire the over there. The truly fascinating thing is this strand can also trigger ADHD. Possibly, that annoying kid bouncing off the walls could be our next star galaxy explorer.
As with everything, one detail cannot explain our actions. Despite our desire for simple solutions and penchant for short sound bites to explain complex problems, most answers are complicated and fleeting. The more we delve into life's mysteries, the more convoluted our problem solving becomes. Something to think about indeed.
I'm thinking about a new tattoo of "...Rosie on my chest. Cause I'm the wanderer..." As ever BB
"Not all those who wander are lost." - J.R.R. Tolkien
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