Sunday, November 24, 2013

Did we come from another planet? No.

Recently I forced myself to read an article about certain claims by made by one Dr. Ellis Silver, an ecologist, about how humans came from another planet (read the article here). Now most people would think that any proof that we do not come from this planet would be in our DNA (and I'll get to that later) but the article doesn't even make mention that. Infact it claims because of certain aliments that humans tend to have that there is only one logical conclusion as to why we have them: We came from another world.

One of the first claims made by Dr. Silver is that a lot of us have bad backs, and because of this he believes that humans must have evolve in a lower gravity environment then that of Earth's.

Even if this was true that we did evolve in a lower gravity environment than that of Earth's it wouldn't be the cause of our bad backs. Eventually our bodies would adapt over a few generations to Earth's gravity, and this guy is suggesting that we have been here for tens of thousands of years (actually between 60,000 to 200,000). This is more than enough time for our bodies to have adapted to Earth's gravity.

Now the real reason for our bad backs isn't because of the gravity, it's actually a number of different things. It can be from placing to much stress on our backs (which other species do not do unless we make them) or injury, or sitting in a chair wrong for to long of a period of time, or being overweight, or a lack of exercise, or lifting up heavy objects in an improper manner. I'm not sure if Dr. Silver ignored these facts or not, but the sheer fact that some humans have back issues is not evidence that humans are from another world.

The second claim made for why humans are from another planet is because it can be difficult for women to give birth due to the size of a baby's head, and that it can result in fatalities for both the mother and infant. He also claims that no other species on this planet has that problem.

This claim is just weird and flawed on several levels. First we are not the only species that has big heads when we are born. Infact many species of primates have big heads when they are born, as do many other species, and do experience complications from childbirth which can result in the deaths of both the mother and child.

Also, if it is true that having a big head when we are born which makes it difficult for a woman to give birth meant that we didn't come from this planet, then why would we have evolved this trait on another planet also? We shouldn't have, and therefore we shouldn't even exist...

Just because we are born with big heads does not mean we did not come from this planet.

The third claim made for the believed reason why humans cannot have come from this planet is because we cannot stay in the sun for long periods of time, unlike lizards.

Well, we're not lizards, which are cold blooded and actually need the heat from the sun inorder to function. We're warm blooded, as are all other mammals, and do not require as much exposure to sun as a lizard does. Infact many mammal species are even less tolerant of the sun than we are, and either spend a lot of time in shaded areas, or are nocturnal and live underground, or in trees and bushes until night time.

Dr. Silver is also suggesting that because we can be harmed by the sun (i.e. get sunburned) that we must have come from another planet.

Actually the reason why we get sunburned isn't because we evolved on another planet, it's because we have a lot of exposed skin. Most other mammals have thick hair (i.e. fur) that protects their skin from direct exposure from the sunlight. Infact we're not the only mammals that have a problem with getting sunburn. Pigs for example are very well known for getting sunburned, which is why they tend to roll around in mud. It's not because they like it, it's so they don't get sunburned.

Now the forth claim that is made is that we have a strong dislike of naturally occurring foods, and for this reason we're probably not from this planet.

This is completely bogus. A lot of people love naturally occurring foods, which is why we still have people who hunt and fish, or go into the woods looking for wild fruits and nuts and plants and berries to eat. The reason why some people don't like natural or wild foods is because their taste buds are not use to them, but given time a person will get use to it and even like natural foods (especially if that's all they have to eat).

The fifth claim made (at this point in time I'm trying not to tear my hair out of my scalp do to the sheer ridiculousness of this) is that because we have high rates of chronic disease (that's a matter of opinion) is that we may have evolved to expect 25 hour days (i.e. we evolved on a planet that has a 25 hour a day rotation) and therefore we might not get enough sleep.

Evolving on a planet that has only a 25 hour day would not have been a big deal to us. It's only a one hour difference, plus, if what Dr. Silver is suggests is true and we did come here tens of thousands of years ago, we would have adjusted to a 24 hour a day cycle a long time ago.

The real reason why we are prone to chronic diseases has nothing to do with being from a planet that has a 25 hour day, but has everything to do with our habits, our diet, our genetics, and yes, even a lack of sleep. Also we're not the only species on this planet that suffers from chronic diseases. Infact I'm not even sure if there are other species on this planet that do not suffer from some chronic diseases.

Now Dr. Silver also suggests that when we allegedly came here that we crossbred with other hominids, such as homo erectus.

Besides the genetic improbability that it should be impossible for two different species that have evolved from two completely different genetic lines and have no common ancestors what so ever to be able to crossbred, why would a species that is advanced enough to get from one star system to another even want to crossbred with a species that is barely advanced enough to make crude stone and stick tools?

It should also be noted that he suggests that we came here (apparently from Alpha Centauri, according to his suggestions) as fully evolved homo sapiens. But if this is true, then why would he have suggested that we crossbred with homo erectus? If we came here the way we are today then we shouldn't have any genetic connections with homo erectus, which infact we do.

Did we come here and crossbred with another species to create our modern species, or did we come here the way we are? You can't have it both ways.

Even if we did crossbred with another species it would show in our genetic makeup and our DNA that we are not from this planet. Infact on a genetic level we are closely related to every other species on this planet. We actually share about 99.6% of our DNA with chimpanzees and bonobos. It shouldn't be anywhere near that if we came from another planet, even if we did crossbred with a native species.

Another suggestion that Dr. Silver makes as to why we must have come from another planet is because many people do not feel that they belong on or are at home on the Earth.

This doesn't mean anything really. There are a lot of different reasons why a person might not feel like they belong on this planet. It could be because they want to explore, or they may just have a bad life and feel that they are not meant for the world.

In conclusion these claims by Dr. Silver are just flawed beyond compare, and are easily disproven. His book about this is not going to create debate as he believes. At best it will be used as an example of bad science.

9 comments:

  1. For any disease genetic improbability can be main reason. There are a lot of different reasons why a person might not feel like they belong on this planet.

    Regards,
    Luxury Hair extensions

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Many different reason indeed. Hell I want to get off this planet, but mainly because I have an explore's heart.

      Delete
  2. I want my 25th hour of sleep, dammit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me to!!! Although I would probably just stay up an extra hour...

      Delete
  3. Bad science, LOL. Dr. Ellis Silver is correct, we are NOT from earth, and oddly enough one of his examples of how the sun burns us, happens to be an exact example that I have been pointing out to a few people about what I know. I have over 30 years study about the supernatural, and the paranormal, and can tell you, religion, and faith aside, it's obvious we are not from here. Erich Von Daniken was the genius that made a few hints about this. Years later I picked up a book and WOW. It all jumped out at me. Your welcome to read my site about it. You have to have an open mind, and sorry for being so cocky, but when you find out what I have uncovered about this topic, you will understand why. http://itsthetooth.wix.com/intervention

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Humans are just one of many mammals that burn in the sun. Animals particularly prone to sunburn include hairless mammals such as humans, pigs, rhinos, elephants, hippos, whales, etc. Most mammals have adapted protection or learned behaviour to help minimize sunburns. For example, pigs, and some groups of humans, smear mud on themselves to minimize sunburns. Elephents learn from a young age to throw sand on themselves in order to block out the sun, and elephant moms will shade their offspring with their own body. There have been reports of elephants separated from other members of their species at a young age not learning this adaptive behaviour. Thus, they experience sunburns more frequently. Whales that spend too much time at the surface of the water can also experience sunburning. Dogs with thin coats will also experience burning with prolonged exposure to sunlight. Giraffes have adapted black tongues to minimize sunlight, and certain humans have dark skin for this same reason - in both instances the giraffe and the human live in areas where they get more exposure to sunlight and increased levels of melanin protects both animals. This is why the sun poses such a threat to individuals with albinism. This is undergraduate level stuff. How someone claiming to be an Ecologist doesn't know this, I don't know.

      Delete
  4. I get what you are saying, just one thing , it must take millions of years in order to produce some new adaptation, not just 60'000 or so

    ReplyDelete
  5. I wrote a post on my blog in which I gave my reasons of believing that humans came from another planet. I'd like to have your opinion on it.
    www.thepenview.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. well, it takes only a few days of sun to get a good tan, so....

    ReplyDelete