Humans: Smarter than yeast?

[Dr Jon]

I had an interesting discussion with a colleague the other day about the triggers of the current financial crisis. We concluded that the perceived value of (everything in) the global economy had become inflated because of the perception that business as usual would carry on indefinitely. As Colin Campbell has noted, business and the stock markets had assumed the continued supply of cheap energy, on which the capitalist economy depends. The assumption of continued supply is mirrored for almost every other resource we use and our consumption of these has risen exponentially.

Those of you who are into home brewing may see an interesting parallel here: yeast consumes "natural resources" (sugar) and reproduces until all those resources have been used up. That and / or the toxic waste it produces (alcohol) kills it off.

If you allow for the difference in scale, scope and complexity - that we are much more complex organisms and therefore capable of more complex achievements on a larger scale, our life-cycles are strikingly similar.

Which raises an interesting question: are humans smarter than yeast?

 

[Kanda]

Yes they are, yeast can't drive a car.

 

[Dr Jon]

Yes they are, yeast can't drive a car.

I think that is included in scale, scope and complexity

 

[Dr Jon]

I think that on the individual, local scale, of course we are smarter than yeast. On the mass, global scale however we behave in the same way. It remains to be seen whether we are actually smart enough to change our behaviour in time to allow our survival.

 

[isitme]

ask some yeast

 

[Kaka Tim]

Well humans have built things like the pyramids, the interent and put people on the moon.

However being able to turn sugar in alchohol is a pretty neat trick too.

 

[isitme]

if you lke yeast so much why don't you go and live in a field

 

[subversplat]

So who's going to go and have a party supping the smouldering remains of consumerist culture?

 

[bluestreak]

Some humans are smarter than yeast. However, the majority really aren't. But coparing humans to yeast isn't really a like-for-like comparison. Yeast perform a beautiful and important function in nature, whereas scientists have yet to find what the point of humans actually is.

 

[Dr Jon]

Some humans are smarter than yeast. However, the majority really aren't. But coparing humans to yeast isn't really a like-for-like comparison. Yeast perform a beautiful and important function in nature, whereas scientists have yet to find what the point of humans actually is.

Turning beer into piss = fertiliser!


ETA:
Just off to the pub to justify my existence...

 

[albionism]

 

[Barking_Mad]

My tagline used to be, 'Life is a giant microcosm'.

Dr Jon's example was just the sort of thing I had in mind.......

 

[perplexis]

I just misread the title as "Humous: smarter than yeast?" and thought is was some kind of health-food thread
I think this proves that this particular human is no smarter than yeast

 

[Ungrateful]

Those of you who are into home brewing may see an interesting parallel here: yeast consumes "natural resources" (sugar) and reproduces until all those resources have been used up. That and / or the toxic waste it produces (alcohol) kills it off.

Human's at least have the potential to recognise and overcome limits -- yeast doesn't. The fact that most human's, especially after ingesting yeast' 'toxic output', don't bother to imagine the impact of their actions, does not deny the fact that they sttill have the potential to do so. no matter how clever yeast gets it will never have this ability [cue deranged scientist producing genetically-altered uber-yeast].

 

[camouflage]

I had an interesting discussion with a colleague the other day about the triggers of the current financial crisis. We concluded that the perceived value of (everything in) the global economy had become inflated because of the perception that business as usual would carry on indefinitely. As Colin Campbell has noted, business and the stock markets had assumed the continued supply of cheap energy, on which the capitalist economy depends. The assumption of continued supply is mirrored for almost every other resource we use and our consumption of these has risen exponentially.

Those of you who are into home brewing may see an interesting parallel here: yeast consumes "natural resources" (sugar) and reproduces until all those resources have been used up. That and / or the toxic waste it produces (alcohol) kills it off.

If you allow for the difference in scale, scope and complexity - that we are much more complex organisms and therefore capable of more complex achievements on a larger scale, our life-cycles are strikingly similar.

Which raises an interesting question: are humans smarter than yeast?

In large groups, or as a species we're about as smart as yeast and other simple organisms. As individuals we can do things that yeast can't, like oragami, and blogging.

 

[danny la rouge]

It is very judgmental to guage humans in yeast terms and yeast in human terms. Yeast has its own culture, you know.

 

[Fruitloop]

very similar according to this guy: http://www.dieoff.org/

 

[Dr Jon]

Yeast has its own culture, you know.

 

[danny la rouge]

Cheers, Jon.

 

[Madusa]

It is very judgmental to guage humans in yeast terms and yeast in human terms. Yeast has its own culture, you know.

Oooh, someone's been using their loaf!

 

[danny la rouge]

Oooh, someone's been using their loaf!

It's the way I was bread.

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

It is very judgmental to guage humans in yeast terms and yeast in human terms. Yeast has its own culture, you know.

ouch.

 

[Madusa]

ouch.

Oh come on, at yeast it's not some terrible bread pun. I think he rose to the occasion quite nicely.

 

[danny la rouge]

Oh come on, at yeast it's not some terrible bread pun. I think he rose to the occasion quite nicely.

Don't get crusty with her.

 

[Madusa]

No, I dough not think I'll be doing that!

soz, I'll stop now.

 

[danny la rouge]

No, I dough not think I'll be doing that!

Crumbs! Ciabatta not.

 

[Madusa]

Crumbs! Ciabatta not.

I like how you can sandwich all the silly puns in with serious discussion on urban.

 

[danny la rouge]

I like how you can sandwich all the silly puns in with serious discussion on urban.

Well, it's butter to roll with it.

 

[Madusa]

Enough with the derailing of this bread, danny! :ROLLeyes:

 

[bluestreak]

baton it, you guys, this is a serious thread.