From Ros Groves, Watford, UK
The fact that genetic developments linked to higher intelligence have been dated to around the time of a sudden explosion in the making of more complex tools would appear to be more than a coincidence(18 October, p 6).
What was required in a tool? How and where it would be used? How it could be adapted to suit changing circumstances? These all became compelling questions to ponder.
Could this shift in focus towards planning for the future be the original source of mental illness? As technology and, consequently, life itself have become more complex, we find ourselves forced to make more difficult choices. We agonise over the endless permutations and possible worst-case scenarios.
On the other hand, many animals, if fortunate to survive a predatory pursuit, will appear to chomp away at their food as though nothing had ever happened. I would question whether they have thought deeply beforehand about the actual degree of pain involved in being torn apart, or who would look after the family.
Advertisement
