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RE: SETI has observed a “strong” signal that may originate from a Sun-like star or it may be BS

in #science8 years ago (edited)

I agree with this completely. I don't know if you're aware of this or not. However, there is an ancient tradition that human intelligence was the result of spiders. This tradition is all but universal outside of the Abrahamic traditions which chalk it all up to snakes (the Hopi also have a tradition of snake wisdom).

This spider intelligence is present in many native american cultures through a tradition of "grandmother spider". Yet almost globally you will find that there is some ethnocentric deity that gave our species the ability to find order in chaos. A weaver of fate and destiny.

This deity is generally depicted as a weaver with a loom and most commonly as a spider deity. Although the deity may have other aspects as well, the fact is, many deities have 6 or 8 appendages. In modern culture we explain those excess appendages as representing "aspects". But I've never found that completely satisfying.

Many of these traditions are conserved in oral traditions. I had always chalked them up to the overactive imaginations of primitive cultures.

That is until a few years ago when I read about retroviruses that were conserved in our DNA and the vital role those retro viruses actually play in our overall development.

After I read that article, I had a POV dream about being an ape like creature, lost, alone and confused with only the dimmest light of primal intellect. Hearing a voice coming from a tree and it beckoned saying "come here and rest, then you will find your path". Sitting beneath a tree only to be bitten by a spider moments later.
It was painful and made him very sick for days. But when he came out of it, this gave him an edge and suddenly he found he was so much more than he had been before.

Obviously it was only dream. Brought about by reading too much on too many diverse topics before bedtime.
Yet it raised something I've been mulling in my mind every since.
What if Stan Lee was right about the spiders?
What if Douglas Adams was right about the mice and the dolphins?

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Heh, I didn't know about the spider deity stuff, but I do believe they are very intelligent (certain species anyway). Have spent some hours over the years watching spiders exhibit what appears to be very intelligent behaviour. Web-weaving, stalking prey, carrying egg-sacs, shepherding young. Personally I suspect that all hunting animals require a certain degree of intelligence over pure 'instinct', although in spider-world some species seem to act as 'beasts' with some adopting the role of 'man' - I'm thinking mainly Pholcus (Cellar spiders) here - these do a lot of fascinating stuff - including taking out big dumb house spiders (Eratigena), believe it or not. Another 'humanoid' spider is Portia (Jumping spider), which could even be smarter than Pholcus. Hope to post on this subject in a week or two when I've got more time, bit tied up for the next week or two.

Love the retro virus gene swap idea by the way! This is also something that fascinates me, any good sources?

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