It’s that time of year again, and happily, my silly little Christmas poem “Wonder, the Christmas Cat” is still making the rounds. We could use a little levity, don’t you think?
Speaking of animals, I’ve been thinking about this recent article on CNN titled “‘Mind control’ by parasites influences wolf-pack dynamics in Yellowstone National Park” – the parasites being single-celled organisms that live in the digestive systems of cats, including our pets. T. gondii, they’re called – you’ve probably heard of them. The article says that rats who’ve ingested the parasites’ “eggs” (oocytes) tend to exhibit significant changes in their behavior. A chemical released by these “eggs” alters the rats’ natural avoidance of cat urine and so they become more daring, more likely to veer from safe routines – and as a result of all these changes, these rats are more likely to be eaten by a cat. Which is what the parasites want, because the digestive system of cats has a unique enzyme the parasites need to live.
Apparently some of the gray wolves at Yellowstone have also found themselves infected by these “eggs”, and although wolves are pack animals with tight social bonds, they too become braver, less bonded, and more independent when infected. A higher-than-average percentage of them will even go so far as to leave their birth pack – which is a dangerous situation for a wolf. On their own they’re vulnerable to attacks from other wolves in addition to other challenges of going pack-less, but if they do find a new group, they tend to become pack leader. Isn’t that fascinating?
So, after reading the article, I began to wonder how this parasite might be affecting human-pack dynamics. Surely it is. And more to the point (where I’m concerned), could it be that a disproportionately large number of authors have cats? I have two! Because we are a bit daring, aren’t we? I mean, it’s a tremendous act of ego to create worlds, which can be risky business, so we’re also a rather anxious bunch. Authors tend to favor the edges of society. We prefer to be on the outside looking in – idea-wise and perspective-wise, we profit from a kind of lone-wolfishness. Not so much financially… but as they say, there’s always a price for magic. So, as a “situation” I’m thinking the average author might be comparable to a lone wolf. A wolf probably goes hungry for a time before landing another pack. But when he does, maybe with a heightened synergy with his new buddies? I don’t know, I’m just goofing around. But if a lone-wolf author’s ideas are strong and so is his stamina (it’s brutal out there! brutal!), he just might emerge a leader. Even without public success, who can ever help being what they are, and so like the poor wolf, authors often find themselves a little hungry from time to time, in one way or another.
My other big idea, which I’ve really enjoyed kicking around these last few weeks is this: What if all the species on Earth have been advancing together? What if we humans have only been leading the way? Relying more on culture than instincts continues to be a bumpy road for us, no lie, but maybe when a deer excitedly kicks a soccer ball into a goal (was that really real?), or a crow uses water displacement to obtain something it wants from a tall glass (that definitely was, right?) – maybe these animals have been growing along with us, and are progressing right behind us. Maybe Earth’s collective intelligence is increasing, and throughout the galaxy and the universe – across the board, all species – lifeforms on planets are and always have been growing smarter together.
Smarter isn’t necessarily an evolutionary advantage, though… Hmm… Oh well.
I’ll end this post with links to two articles I ran across yesterday on PBS. One article discusses poet David Ferry on age and agelessness (I especially love how Ferry captures vulnerability after loss in “That Now Are Wild and Do Not Remember”): “Poet David Ferry: ‘A Special Kind of Thief’”. The other announces a breakthrough in fusion: “WATCH: Scientists announce fusion energy breakthrough, possible game-changer for climate”. Both accomplishments are contributors to our planet’s collective progress, wouldn’t you say? A lovely thought.
That’s my last post of 2022! I hope you’ll all have a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year with your families and friends. And cats. Dogs too, as I’m more a dog person. Horses, what have you. Birds, I like birds, especially crows.
Take care! See you next year!