John,

My comments are below.

---John Michael <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Steve wrote:
> >>If the Earth can be sentient with no justifcation or little
> >>justification for it then so can a rock.  I believe that you and
Bryan
> >>are on a slippery slope to having everything being sentient which of
> >>course renders the word meaningless.
> 
> 
> It is the sign of an acolyte to make spurious inferences and attribute
> statements in this way. This is a perfect sample of the kind of 
statements
> made by an "economic fundamentalist", who conceives of nothing outside
> competition as valuable. Economic fundamentalists see value only in
> competing with opponents, not in cooperating with partners, whatever
the
> justification. The acolyte's slang reveals that justification is
need for
> sentience. If you were to believe even for a moment that rocks have
feelings
> [some of which may very well have feelings], then that would be
beneficial
> and adviseable within a cave where there are rare stalactites. At
least they
> would be left alone - if the people in the cave "cooperated" with
the rocks
> to maintain their sentience. Who gives a flippin' heck if a rock is
sentient
> or not? well ....unless a person enjoys heckling.

Since it is pretty much common knowledge that I am a strong free
market advocate I think the comments above are directed primarily at
me.  Now I shall destroy John's assertion quite simply.  John, I do
not think that competition is in every instance a good thing [i.e. a
thing to be valued above all others].  Example, competition in the
martial arts destroys the art and turns it into a sport which is a
distinctly different thing.  What kind of "acolyte" your assumptions
makes you I don't know nor particularly care.

> "Plants found to send nerve-like messages. New York Times, 11/17/92,
Vol.
> 142 Issue 49153, pC1, by Yoon, Carol Kaesuk:

Yep, I heard about this article.  I suppose if one really wanted too
he or she could use it as justification to call PETA members murders
and genocidal maniacs.  I suppose it also puts the PETA member in a
slightly tougher spot when having to choose between saving a retarded
child, a bright dog, or a tomato plant....

Steve

> Discusses the discovery by a team of researchers that *the tomato
plant uses
> an electric signal to alert its defense system against grazing
> caterpillars*. The new finding promises to shake up the field of
plant cell
> communication, where the study of electrical signaling has long been
shunned."
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