SPACE IS INFINITE BUT THE SPHERE OF TRUTH HAS NARROWED

I saw one of the episodes of the new Cosmos.  It was interesting.   I read a review of it in Sky and Telescope and they mentioned how graphics and technology have improved over what Mr. Sagan had at his disposal.  I enjoyed the new Cosmos and I thought that it has much of value to offer.  Yet, I was surprised to see rather simple animation, almost Saturday morning level in the program.  So this drove me watch the old Cosmos and to listen to Sagan's album on vinyl (so glad I kept those). It is very interesting how much classical music is in this old album.  Mozart, Vivaldi.  It is quit impressive.  There is a  sense of wonder and curiosity in the old Cosmos music.  Sounds weird I know.

I wonder if the new Cosmos contains a sense of distain which was absent in the old one.  I do not have this feeling that this distain is present in Science alone.  Science and society are different from just 30 years ago (duh), not different but so different in a way which may not bode well for the future.  There is more of a sense of here is the answer, our system has all of the answers and everyone should listen.  In my short experience it does not seem that knowledge is something which someone figures out and then everyone else accepts it as truth- that is the road to dogma.

The mosaic in Palazzo Massimo in Rome has always intrigued me.  It is based on the golden rectangle.  Another way to think of it is the pattern of seeds on the sunflower.  But the longer one looks at it there is more than one way to view it and enjoy it.  In fact the different views are valuable.  To put it another way it just does not seem that one view/answer fits all.  If one system has all of the answers, if that system comes to dominate what reason would people have to preserve what is felt to be dated or even unacceptable?  This did happen once in human history and 80 percent of all Latin Literature and 90 percent of all ancient Greek literature disappeared forever. And we humans spent the next 700 years digging out of the pit of ignorance.  And I must add in some areas we have made no progress at all beyond what Cicero or Aristotle figured out.

I seem to have this feeling that today some people (more than I would prefer) know the answer and we should just listen.  Dogma is being made to look appealing.

709. De Legibus III by Cicero

709.  De Legibus III by Cicero.   In book II Cicero set forth the laws dealing with religion. In this book Cicero first sets forth the Constitution covering the magistrates and then explains each part.

Cicero gives a fascinating definition of an elected official and the law- the magistrate is a speaking law and the law is a silent magistrate.  Then Cicero uses the word imperium which in his view makes possible the household, city, nation, human race, the physical world, nature and the universe.   He makes the point that the universe obeys God and the lands and seas obey the universe and humans obey Law.  The life of a human is subject to the order of the supreme Law.  It is as though that Cicero equates God with imperium, that power which stands behind all.  It also is very clear, at least to me, that he does not view God as an entity.  

This work of Cicero's it seems establishes the necessity of examining, observing and working in nature to understand the needs of people, the purpose of government and the meaning of life. It seems that the Stoics were the first to connect plants, animals, weather, stars, planet with people to answer human purpose.

It seems that he may view things this way because in this regard he viewed the Stoics as on the best track to understand this confusing web we all are in called life.

Without the wisdom and diligence of a magistrate a state can not exist.  There is more to this than what meets the eyes.  Wisdom is wonderful and well worth the pursuit.  BUT without application, sweat and toil and effort it would not be worth much.

It is the duty of magistrates to know their limits and it is the duty of the people to know how to obey these magistrates.

The kind of magistrate makes clear the character of the state.  This says so much about the system or document which establishes the magistrate but it also is a warning what it means if the character of the magistrate changes and what impact this would have on the system of government or document.  He goes on to say that the kind of state determines the magistrate and the kind of magistrate determines the system of government.  

Cicero does discuss the disgrace of the ambassadorial system which allows people to receive these positions and then proceed to use these for their own personal interests.  Wise and timely words in light of the manner in which our ambassadors are now selected for our own allies and other countries.

Quintus then proceeds to offer a serious critique of the Tribunes of the Plebs.  He sites their use of force in assemblies, their attacks on Senatorial authority.  He gives a number of examples.

Cicero replies that one can not only point out the negatives.  He admits that the good of the office is not possible without the evil it possesses. The power of the Tribune is liable to be used for evil but it is a proper way to direct the energy of the people who themselves would be more cruel.

Cicero points out that a leader is conscious that he is dealing with an issue at his own risk.    Whereas the impulse of the people has no thought of its own danger.  A group possesses its own insulation from retribution.  Thus Cicero points out the value of a board of ten Tribunes.  Each has the power to veto another.  This task of the Tribune to represent the people removes the Senators from envy.  Thus even bad tribunes are better than the alternative.

This discussion by Cicero of the problems and merits of the Tribunes makes it clear that this Republic he suggests is an attainable one.  It is not Plato's republic.

But Cicero also points out that the rights of the Tribunes and the people were granted in such a way that the Senate maintained its authority.

Cicero puts forth a strong defense for the Tribunate.  This is impressive in that a Tribune, Clodius, caused Cicero to be exiled.  

But Cicero in discussing his exile in terms of the Tribunate makes it clear that the Tribunate was not the problem but a crisis of the Republic- cum gravissimo rei publicae tempore.  So Cicero says that his exile was due to a failure of the guardians of the Republic to do their duty.

(It is interesting if one thinks about events not long after this that this crisis of the Republic was dealt with by Caesar by crossing the Rubicon, whereas Cicero answered with books and argument.)

All magistrate have the right to take the auspices and judicial power.  This gives people access to trial and judgements.  

All Senators can only enter the Senate via popular election.  This puts the people in a position to determine who gets elected.  But this is all balanced by the fact that decrees of the Senate are binding.

The key to keeping society in a sensible mode is that leaders set proper standards of behavior for the rest.  This includes a sense of modesty in the size and grandure of houses, manner and dress.

There is a discussion of the secret ballot versus public declaration.  Quintus is in favor of public open voting.  And gives numerous examples of its benefits. He suggests that the idea is not to suggest what is simply possible but what is best.  

But Cicero counters that liberty was wisely granted to the plebs in such a way that the aristocracy possesses authority and can use it. Plus after the plebs have had experience of liberty it is unlikely that they would give it up.  

Cicero's law designates those who can conduct Senate meetings and assemblies.  It must be done in moderation.  That is people must stay in line and act properly and so must those who run the meetings.  Senators have a duty to be present, speak in turn, be brief, unless a filibuster is needed to stop something bad.  Senators are required to know the laws, how laws are made, be hard working, diligent, possess a good memory, knowledge of history.

Cicero planned to discuss the education needed for leaders and other aspects of elected offices but books 4 and 5 did not survive.  Sad.  Very sad.

708. All Flesh is Grass by Gene Logsdon

708.  All Flesh is Grass by Gene Logsdon.  First the habit- annual grain crops dominate what comes out of farms.  Gene suggests that this habit is derived from the Medieval habit of walled towns setting up focused gardens within the walls for protection.  These farms maximized space for high production.  When humans moved out of the walls the habit was maintained.  As tools improved tilling was expanded.  And continues to this very day.  He says it is an expression of the desire to control nature.

The problem- annual grain production is very expensive: dust bowls- tilling land which should not be tilled.  The old system of pasturing worked but new tools made it seem that production was increasing and more could be done while sitting.  Fairs added to the problem in that the bigger animal won, thus it was soon learned that grain was the way to accomplish this.  This pushed tilling even more to have the grain at hand to do it.  Those with money were more able to do this.  Remember- in my view the meek shall inherit the earth.  Animals were crossed to promote growth.  Thus breed gene lines have been damaged.  Till farming consumes large amounts of fossil fuels, requires expensive equipment which puts farms in debt, requires use of fertilizers and pesticides and herbicides.  It increases the amount of erosion, the equipment required to harvest is very expensive.  All of these also cause farmer to have less and less to do with soil and the nature of the land.  The list is not done-  speed of harvest, shipping and production have made artificial drying necessary- this uses a great deal of energy.  The need for storage, transportation over long distances, the manure from large indoor operations has caused serious pollution problems, handling the large amounts of manure is expensive,  confined feeding requires use of antibiotics, to increase weight gain the need for hormones has increased, and then the meat, eggs, milk etc must be transported long distances. Confinement of animals often requires irradiation of the meat.  This for example in chicken destroys 95% of vitamin A.  It increases mutagens and carcinogens such as formaldehyde and butane.  It also kills organisms which keep botulism under control.  Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) helps fight cancer, obesity and diabetes.  However, 50 % is lost when grains are fed to dairy. Grains adversely effect meat too.

So what is the solution?  At the moment something like 90% of farming is for that of growing grain and 10% is in pasture.  Gene suggests that this be reversed- 80 % in pasture and 20 % in annual grain.

In pasture farming the animals are let out onto a field.  In this system, the animals harvest the their own food.  Since they are out on the field so much, they fertilize the soil, help to keep down weeds and actually benefit the grasses in the field when the animals are properly rotated from field to field.  Pasture farming can work on poor soil.

The evidence provides a strong argument that pasturing produces more meat that confinement.  But the agribusiness resists pasture farming because money is tied up in equipment.  The production of these machines employs people.  They argue that fewer animals can be grown on a given amount of land when pastured.  But the total amount of plant growth consumed on an acre of alfalfa is greater than an acre of corn.  Animals which grow on corn have a faster growth rate but their nutrition suffers.  But till farming has won out over pasturing because of government subsidies for multiple levels of numerous industries.  But till farming has caused the loss of many jobs as people have left farms and moved to cities to find work. Gene suggests that smaller famrs would actually employ more people.  Fewer expensive machines would allow greater number of people employed, yet the farmer would still do well. 

Grass farming is brain farming not factory farming.  Pasture farming takes into account that fossil fuels will not be around for ever.  Gene suggests that there must be a transition from megafarming to small farming with small equipment to human/horse farming of the future.  This sounds kind of wild, but he may be right.  As I learned in Green Illusions - the costs, pollution, health problems associated with so-called green energy is not so rosy.

He does not have much faith in research methods employed by universities because he makes the case that land, climate, weather, seeds, soil, animals grown, different crops grown are so intertwined and complex that controlled studies are almost worthless.  

Gene realized looking back on his own childhood on the farm that it made no sense to clean the barn, harvest the crops, work constantly, while the cows stood in the shade of trees and watched.

Gene came to know Bob Evans, the Bob Evans, who set up farming in southern Ohio on poor soil, land that few wanted and figured out how to pasture his cows year around.

Gene gives numerous examples of farms who plant corn for example and let the animals eat it in the field-  first lambs are let on to the corn to eat the lower leaves.  Then later the pigs are let on to it to consume the ears of corn.  Then in the winter the cows and sheep are let out to consume what was left.  Machines were perhaps needed to till the field and plant the seed, but everything else was done by the animals while the farmer sat in the shade and watched.  By the way- the animals provided the fertilizer for next year's growth, worms increase in such a system to aerate the soil, there are even weeds which when they die, their roots leave a cavity which allows moisture to enter the ground.  Often in this set up grasses can be planted among the rows of corn in the fall- these, the grasses fix nitrogen in the soil.

Gene himself learned that he needed to watch his animals, watch the land, observe results and find what worked for HIS AREA.  He learned that one universal rule does not fit all.  Standards in agriculture apparently are just as dangerous as standards in education.  Rate of grass growth of different grasses just may require two grasses which grow at different rates.  But proper grazing by sheep for example can allow the slower grasses to emerge as the sheep are moved to another field.  During this time the slower grass may take off while the other grass fades as summer dryness takes effect.  Also one grass may benefit another grass and vice-versa.  In a sense two grasses may battle it out to the benefit of each.

His point is this- farms must adapt the kind of animal, breed and characteristics and soil, climate and grasses to each other.  One size does not fit all.

Gene gives examples and models for farming with a wide range of animals and the grasses needed to feed these animals.  He even discusses the potential which weeds may have for pasturing- at least in some areas.

There is a valuable quote- page 136-137:

I suppose that as long as one stays within the abstract world of mathematics or even the molecular cause-effect structures of chemistry, scientific methodology is fairly straightforward and can lead logically to some valid conclusions.  But in the real world of human and animal behavior, science can easily founder on the almost unlimited variables that come into play.  Husbandry is an imperfect science.  Agricultural scientists perform their experiments where they can exclude as many variables as possible in an effort to isolate the one cause-effect phenomenon that they are studying.  Generally their conclusions hold up only until they clash with some other isolated cause-effect experiment.  Why society in general puts so much faith in this kind of science is beyond me.  

We as a culture have decided that the principles of business can be applied to farming and look at the results.  The principles of business are now being applied to education and a new disaster is in the making.

The Missionary Comes to the Farm

The Missionary Comes to the Farm

Once there was a farmer and his wife who had the idea that he could feed his family and friends on their small plot.  So he and his wife decided to purchase ten gilts, as they felt that these would easily supply their wants, those of their friends and neighbors and even have a few left over to sell elsewhere.  When these were of age they were bred.  Each had 8 piglets hungry and eager.  

Before the farmer and his wife made the venture, they asked people in the area what grew and how well.  They wanted to adapt their plans to the nature of pigs, land climate and seeds.  They learned about the daily weather, amount of rain, the make up and nature of soil  They found that barley, corn and alfalfa loved the soil and climate.  The farmer, who had grown up on a farm, remembered the nature of pigs and those qualities possessed.  

Pigs have eager appetites and love to root.  But the rooting is due to their desire to find food.  It is figured that tons of earth worms, beetle larvae, roots, rhizomes, minerals exist in just an acre of land.  If trees are near by the better, if these are nut trees.  Pigs can fatten on acorns.  

They planned to hand sow three paddocks.  One of barley, one of corn (they decided on sweet corn- they figured that the pigs could eat the sweet corn but the husband and wife could partake too) and one paddock of alfalfa.

They were living on a shoe string , low on cash, poor by many standards but smart.  They hoped someday to have a small tractor or mule, plow and disc.  They had to choose between these (which would be nice to have) and the seed and gilts.  They wisely concluded that the grains and pigs they could eat but everything they read said that heavy metal was dangerous to consume.

So with paddocks in place but unplowed and the soil unturned they adapted. They let the gilts first into one paddock and then another.  The pigs when released viewed this as heaven.  Here they were faced with what they were fit and made to do- root, plow and till.  Many benefits here.  It may be that they were unaware but as they ate grubs, larvae, insects, weeds, grass they acquired the exercise they would need to bare their young in the season to come.  Their strength improved, they rooted more vigorously and consequently ate more, had more energy and in the end thoroughly plowed one at a time all three paddocks.  The gilts had to be supplemented with grains.  But they had figured this as part of the budget.

As each paddock was cleared, in one barley was planted, corn in another and alfalfa in the last.

The gilts were bred.  Each gave a litter of 8 to 9 piglets.  Soon in rotation about 95 hogs were let loose on one paddock after the next.  A few of the piglets died, one was eaten by a coyote, a few fell ill and died and one disappeared.  Loaded up at seasons end 83 hogs went to a local market.  A handsome profit was made and everything looked good. They were proud that they had adapted the ways of pigs to the land and the climate. They were proud that they had adapted their life in a meaningful way to their home.  

Then one day a missionary type came down the lane and, as he talked to the farmer and his wife he looked about the farm, asked where the equipment was, the heated shed for the sows and cement floors to prevent rooting.  He also told them that they could bring far more efficient machines to till and work the soil which would increase their productivity.  A small loan from the bank would give them the cash flow they needed to expand and increase their production.  The wife asked why the bank would just give them money.  The missionary told her and her husband that they would make a small payment to return the money over a long period of time.  The farmer and his wife would make a profit and so would the bank.  He added that if they were wise and had kept pace with new approaches they would know that larger fields could be tilled, weeds could be kept in check with herbicides, since machines would do this instead of the hogs.  Insecticides, as insects are a nuisance, are a must, since the pigs would no longer graze the fields for larvae.  But the trade off would be that their harvest per acre would dramatically increase. Besides additional loans down the road would allow them to expand, increase their productivity.     

The farmer and his wife resisted.  The missionary after a while became impatient.  He told them that they must learn to adapt.  That before they became too old they should learn the power and wisdom of modernity and get with it.  He quickly added that all the universities filled with phds and such knew that the new way was the best. Still the husband and wife expressed some doubt.  Finally the missionary waved his hand in the air and left in disgust.  

The farmer and his wife wondered if the missionary had a point and that perhaps they should take his advice.  But, as the farmer and his wife walked into the house, a blue bird sat on the post near the door with an insect in its mouth, a robin was plucking a worm from the lawn and bees were abuzz in the fields about.  That is music that no amount of iron and cash flow could ever better.

I ask the reader to think about the damage done by the business/industrial mentality to the art of farming.  How industry and business have used marketing to promote their activity.  How business and industry have designed a marketing system which casts a cloud of ignorance and stupidity overt those who resist the "new way" in order to marginalize the arguments of anyone who resists and objects.  Imagine the distance which a business/industrial mentality has put between the nature of life/ the needs of the individual and those who are responsible a quality future.

As a teacher of 37 years (now retired) I shudder to think what a business/industrial/technological mentality is doing to education.  Machines/gadgetries/technology are valued far above the wisdom and experience and adaptations a teacher makes to be successful. Industry and business have done much harm to farming and now technology and cash are doing it to education.