Million, billion and trillion.

[Profpointy]

most people actually fail to grasp even a million.

1
10x1=10
10×10=100
10×100=1000
so far so easy to comprehend the scaling.

but the next step is different.
1000×1000=1million

Is a million so tricky? We can all estimate 1mm by eye and also walk 1km in maybe 10 or 15 minutes. A million fold difference. Most of us will have driver 1000km in a day at some point - a billion mm.

 

[Fnaar]

Miss Goodbody can only count up to 69

 

[classic33]

Umm, no it's not interesting evolution-wise because it says nothing about evolution. Only in a near or actual infinite universe could the same Homo sapiens species evolve, so it's interesting only from a probability point of view, which is the same as just saying 'it's not interesting at all.'

Home Erectus, Lucy, don't forget them. Although Lucy may have taken a different path.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Home Erectus, Lucy, don't forget them

Were they the ancestors of B&Q?

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Miss Goodbody can only count up to 69

She's lost one finger has she?

 

[Cp40Carl]

Umm, no it's not interesting evolution-wise because it says nothing about evolution. Only in a near or actual infinite universe could the same Homo sapiens species evolve, so it's interesting only from a probability point of view, which is the same as just saying 'it's not interesting at all.'

Well, Professor Simon Conway Morris, a leading evolutionary biologist based at Cambridge University, disagrees with you; convergence is one of the best arguments for Darwinian adaptation. As we're discussing probabilities, I think it more probable that he is correct.

(Despite my interest in this area, this is ostensibly a cycling forum so I'm going back to talking about brake blocks, uncomfortable seats and gear ratios!).

 

[Tin Pot]

Well, Professor Simon Conway Morris, a leading evolutionary biologist based at Cambridge University, disagrees with you; convergence is one of the best arguments for Darwinian adaptation. As we're discussing probabilities, I think it more probable that he is correct.

(Despite my interest in this area, this is ostensibly a cycling forum so I'm going back to talking about brake blocks, uncomfortable seats and gear ratios!).

If you were talking about convergence, which you were not, so my response cannot be challenged with it.

Logical fallacy #1.

Happy to move on and discuss convergence if you want.

 

[Cp40Carl]

If you were talking about convergence, which you were not, so my response cannot be challenged with it.

Logical fallacy #1.

Happy to move on and discuss convergence if you want.

I was in fact talking about convergence "It is an interesting evolutionary question - if the environment is similar to earth, which is almost certainly the case for several million of those planets, will the evolutionary process result in humans or human like animals."

I assume that you agree the following definition of convergence as being "the process whereby organisms not closely related (not monophyletic), independently evolve similar traits as a result of having to adapt to similar environments or ecological niches".

http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/map-of-life-predicts-et-so-where-is-he

However, whilst I have a genuine and lifelong interest in evolutionary biology, we really ought to get back to brake blocks and chain sizes!

 

[classic33]

I was in fact talking about convergence "It is an interesting evolutionary question - if the environment is similar to earth, which is almost certainly the case for several million of those planets, will the evolutionary process result in humans or human like animals."

I assume that you agree the following definition of convergence as being "the process whereby organisms not closely related (not monophyletic), independently evolve similar traits as a result of having to adapt to similar environments or ecological niches".

http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/map-of-life-predicts-et-so-where-is-he

However, whilst I have a genuine and lifelong interest in evolutionary biology, we really ought to get back to brake blocks and chain sizes!

Why would life be confined to carbon based systems. Wasn't silicon based life found?

 

[PK99]

Why would life be confined to carbon based systems. Wasn't silicon based life found?

certainly was... in Star Trek first series.

 

[Cp40Carl]

Why would life be confined to carbon based systems. Wasn't silicon based life found?

Yes, the famous artist Lowry discovered some silicon based life forms living around Salford, England. In fact he was able to capture their image (wait for it)...

As he painted mastic men and mastic cats and dogs.

(I apologise unreservedly for this joke).

 

[Oxo]

Still waiting.

 

[classic33]

Yes, the famous artist Lowry discovered some silicon based life forms living around Salford, England. In fact he was able to capture their image (wait for it)...

As he painted mastic men and mastic cats and dogs.

(I apologise unreservedly for this joke).

So you should!

 

[Globalti]

One of these would have bought you a slice of cake:

 

[classic33]

One of these would have bought you a slice of cake:

View attachment 370750

I'd heard cake stops were getting expensive, but that's pushing it too far.