Odds and ends: The ‘One Hundred Monkey Syndrome’

The Japanese monkey, Macaca fuscata, had been observed in the wild for a period of over 30 years. In 1952, on the island of Koshima, scientists were providing monkeys with sweet potatoes dropped in the sand. The monkey liked the taste of the raw sweet potatoes, but they found the dirt unpleasant.

An 18-month-old female named Imo found she could solve the problem by washing the potatoes in a nearby stream. She taught this trick to her mother. Her playmates also learned this new way and they taught their mothers too. This cultural innovation was gradually picked up by various monkeys before the eyes of the scientists. Between 1952 and 1958 all the young monkeys learned to wash the sandy sweet potatoes to make them more palatable. Only the adults who imitated their children learned this social improvement. Other adults kept eating the dirty sweet potatoes.

Then something startling took place. In the autumn of 1958, a certain number of Koshima monkeys were washing sweet potatoes — the exact number is not known. Let us suppose that when the sun rose one morning there were 99 monkeys on Koshima Island who had learned to wash their sweet potatoes. Let’s further suppose that later that morning, the hundredth monkey learned to wash potatoes. THEN IT HAPPENED! By that evening almost everyone in the tribe was washing sweet potatoes before eating them. The added energy of this hundredth monkey somehow created an ideological breakthrough!

But notice: A most surprising thing observed by these scientists was that the habit of washing sweet potatoes then jumped over the sea… Colonies of monkeys on other islands and the mainland troop of monkeys at Takasakiyama began washing their sweet potatoes.

Thus, when a certain critical number achieves an awareness, this new awareness may be communicated from mind to mind. Although the exact number may vary, this Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon means that when only a limited number of people know of a new way, it may remain the conscious property of these people. But there is a point at which if only one more person tunes in to a new awareness, a field is strengthened so that this awareness is picked up by almost everyone! (Heartland Sangha)

Source: http://vibroacoustic.com/?page_id=13&paged=2

Some thoughts of the informational era we live in

Nowadays we don't have those difficulties in getting music that people used to have not so long ago. By the means of Internet, torrents, official sites we can get almost everything we want and very often absolutely for free. That goes not only for purchasing - also we have almost unmeasured access to get acquainted with any music from all over the world and we are not limited anymore by what we hear on the radio or see on the TV.

Eventually, music is much more easier thing to choose and buy now. This is unbelievably good side of modern world, but also it results in customers' fastidiousness. Yep, luxury is great unless it begins to corrupt. What earlier could be considered as a gem in a collection now is something which pre-oder you can cancel. With all that versatileness provided by information technologies' progress we lose that ability to truly appreciate, enjoy and value the new music we once had. We have Internet, credit card and PayPal account - we are the Lords Of The World.

Stargazer

Hello, folks. If there are some.:)

I presume if you're browsing this page, then there's no need to write my usual CV post, as I used to do over some other web-resources (check out my links at the left sidebar) - 'cause, evidently, it means my person is known to you and (a piece of self-flattery) interests you in some way.

So, it happened. I've decided to create some English-speaking corner of my Web-activity. Why? I wish I knew that for sure. Probably, just because. :)

Speaking frankly, I always felt some strong connection to everything that's English. Since very childhood I'm surrounded by English - by the means of music, firstly. Then "it came within a wave like LSD to fantasy, like gasoline into a fire, like virgin blood to a vampire"© - literature, art, history and mythology. And thus it appeared that I became a strong admirer of English word and sound. Moreover, since some time my own creativity is mostly in English, for this is the way I feel to be the sincerest one... there's no use in denying who you are, you know.

Of course, I can't pretend my English to be flawless - I'd rather pretend it's absolutely not. :) But at the same time "Forget perfection - you'll never reach it."© 

These are the reasons for this blog to be created. English is an integral part of the person writing these lines - so why not having some representation of it over the Web?

What happens next? Who knows. But let's see.

PS. Why there's no "current music" field on the Blogspot  post submission form? Ah, nevermind. Just FYI: Front Line Assembly - Downfall.

PPS. You might be wondering - what does that quotation on the left side of background image mean? I tell you. It means "Music - this is the most genius invention of human kind". Yeah, I've said that once. :)