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Re: Tit'xka (Pretty Long Post)

From:Nik Taylor <fortytwo@...>
Date:Tuesday, January 5, 1999, 20:41
Sheets, Jeff wrote:
> I like the term "Root of Life". Is it called thus because of its control > over life or because by the prevention of new life it preserves existing > life?
The second - without it, the population would swell rapidly, and then crash. Their distant ancestors had many predators, which is why they needed both high fertility and high intelligence. When they developed stone tools and fire, and, most importantly, the ability to build walls (even in the safest area, no city or town is complete without at least a ceremonial wall - it's an instinctive urge, analagous to the human desire for light of some sort, whether it be a fire or a light bulb) to protect them and their young, especially at night. Their population grew rapidly, now only held back by disease and famine. There were probably many famines in their ancient history, which may have encouraged their famous endurance and their intelligence - the smartest ones could find food better. Eventually, somewhere, Root of Life was discovered, probably in a desparate search for edible food. It's properties were discovered, and eventually narrowed down to the root. It was learned how much was needed to maintain a stable population (in fact, it's now possible to calculate the exact amount needed for a specific number of births - if 37 people died that year, you'd want the exact amount to cause 37 births). This would've been as great a breakthrough for them as agriculture - they were able to have more stable societies, and a leisure class which wouldn't be constantly interrupted by famines. Such a society could learn to expand at a reasonable rate, and neighboring tribes would've learned about Root of Life for them, much as agriculture spread on our Earth. Also, with a more stable population, the average population could be larger - the land would be more fertile without being stripped of edible food every decade or so. -- "Cats are rather delicate creatures and they are subject to a good many ailments, but I never heard of one who suffered from insomnia." -- Joseph Wood Krutch http://members.tripod.com/~Nik_Taylor/X-Files/ ICQ #: 18656696 AOL screen-name: NikTailor