Week 11

"Ninety-nine percent of all the species that have lived on earth have died away, and no stars will wink out in tribute if we in our folly soon join them" (Ferris as quoted in Walsh 257).

I found Walsh's use of a quote from Richard Dawkins, a world renowned evolutionary biologist, followed by Stan Grof's quite interesting. Besides his scientific expertise, Richard Dawkins is a committed proponent of atheism these days, and it is this ideology that I suppose Walsh seeks to briefly engage, and not solely the biological implications of evolutionary consciousness. Walsh follows this quote up by one from Stan Grof, who attempts to lend support to intelligent design. Grof supposes that the mere probability of human beings acquiring their intelligence by mere chance can be likened to the possibility of a tornado rumbling through a junkyard and "assembling by accident a 747 jet" (Walsh 258). Propositions like this leave us begging the question as to precisely what Grof's opinion is on the subject-matter, whereas we know precisely where Dawkins stands. Additionally, Grof's fallacious reasoning doesn't need any further commentary or elaboration, especially to those of us who wholly accept the theory of evolution and do not believe it to be a "myth" in any respect. Finally, the underlying supposition contained within Grof's discourse, which presumes that the universe was created, or to some degree, functions with us in mind, exhibits a degree of arrogance comparable to the tirades of persons like Richard Dawkins.

The human consciousness project that Walsh wants to pursue will definitely yield valuable information to society in future generations. Among the various potentially useful pieces of information desired from this future research, he suggests, scientists wish to obtain the "biological underpinning" of our conscious experience. Until then, he suggests, scientists must exhibit a certain level of "neurohumility." I would agree, and suggest that this void in information may appeal to Walsh a little more than he lets on. In my opinion, it is not a question of if this knowledge will be aquired; the question really involves when this sort of information will come to light.