Why religion?
I always wondered about how religion started. I am currently of the opinion that the most important factor was the human tendency for having as much control as possible (evolutionarily a very positive behaviour), and where impossible, invent a semblance of control (as in praying to a god). It’s obvious that religion provides numerous other benefits too. This article postulates that religion promotes cooperation, which would certainly provide a huge evolutionary benefit. Maybe there is a gene for faith? If there is, I certainly do not have it…
Here is the article:
http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070723/full/070723-6.html
More on Middle Class
More on the same subject, including a description of the “Mohamed Atta phenomenon”:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070727.wdougmiddle0727/BNStory/International/?query=
Middle class
The following two articles are about the ‘global middle class’, which seems to be quite different to what we North Americans consider middle class — makes me appreciate even more how lucky I am living in a comparative paradise of Canada. And makes me wonder if we are going to be able to keep this standard of living in the long term.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070724.wmiddleclassside0724/BNStory/International/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070720.wmiddleclass0920/BNStory/International/?query=
About
Although it started out as a means of practising expressing myself, this blog is turning out to be more of a compendium of interesting information I come across. One of these days I’ll have to actually write something as opposed to cut and paste. 
