Hot Rod Biology

1. Damien Hirst work:
a white sheep in a tank of formaldahyde installed in a gallery by Hirst. Someone comes along [another artist it turns out] and tips black ink into the tank . . . thereby creating a new work [a hybrid] . . . a black sheep.

2. Plants and food: the GE debate.
Apparently wheat has actually been 'modified' for a while now, only it hasn't been by putting in other genes, it's been doubling the chromosomes [not sure if that's GE or not?]. The result of course being bigger, 'better' wheat harvests ñ literally bigger grains of wheat.

3. NZ ducks:
are predominantly hybrids of the native Grey Duck and the introduced Mallard [UK]. The driving factor behind this is interesting in relation to design in that it is essentially one of form. The Mallard drake is irresistable to both breeds ñ by design. The male Mallard has brilliant colouring on it's head, whereas the Grey duck is, well, grey! This colouring has a downside too however, as it makes the male Malard more vulnerable to predators [this is common of males in many species especially birds].

4. Deer in NZ.
We have 2 kinds of introduced Deer, one from Europe and one from Canada. They look very different as they have evolved seperately [diff continents] over thousands of years, and people never expected them to cross-breed. Of course they have, and for a similar reason to the ducks ñ the male of one species [Red Deer] is more 'attractive'. Although this time because of it's 'call'. Again I think youu could say, by design. As a result almost all deer in NZ are now Red Deer . . . it is the most successful species.

5. Purity is a myth.
Even though we have what we call purebreeds, they have been hybrids of something at various point along their evolution.

6. Evolution.
Evolution is 'divergent' first and then 'convergent' later. Theory is that there are a number of niches to be filled in the broader system [ecosystem], and things will be devolped until the niches are filled. Once filled, those forms filling them will then become convergent . . . [an assumption here ñ to the point that only one form will fill each niche?] . . . [but I guess the lesson here is that those niches [the system] keep changing so this won't ever happen?].

7. Definitions:
It is therefore difficult within Biology to actually define species. The definitions must remain in flux . . . hmmm very post-modern idea.

8. Mules.
A mule is a hybrid of a horse and a donkey, but it cannot produce offspring. A mule is always infertile [not sure why at this stage?]. The mule came up because it can't be defined as a species, as within the biology this relies on the ability to breed, and create more [mules or whatever] . . . So the mule is a very interesting hybrid in that it's not self perpetuating like most others.

9. Physics.
The 3rd law of classical thermodynamics is: all systems tend toward a state of entropy [chaos, randomness, dis-order].
. . . in the absence of a controlling source a system will always break down. Eg. If roads weren't maintained regularly they'd become unusable to most cars.

10. Energy:
Biology disagrees with Physics. Actually evolution [an idea fundamental to current biology] refutes/negates the Physical law stated above ñ as evolution implies a system that gets continually better. Biologists consider that there is a controlling source [of life?] and that this is Energy.

11. Sharks:
Any life-form that resists change will face extinction. Sharks have been around for 250 million years, and are considered by biologists to be the most successful life-form on earth. [Dad suggests this is perhaps why we are really so frightened of them . . . but then he's a biologist!].