A Whale Of A Discovery

Two discoveries have particular relevance for this month of February.

The first came at the start of the Scientific Age and exposed humankind's propensity for having everything revolve around the earth. Our self-centered pride, as a species, took a big hit from a solar-centered galaxy. In particular, our insistence on having 365 days in a year, when there are roughly 365-and-a-half days every year, is the reason for our introducing a leap year every four years.

I guess a person's birthday or anniversary of death is as easy to disregard as the slightly longer movement of the earth around the sun. A toast: Here's to all those who are left in the dark realm of pre-scientific ignorance by the scientific necessity for exact computation. My advice: Save money by leaving the lights off and candles burning every February 29th. Blackness becomes us!

The second discovery that sends people into shock is that the human race originated in the jungles of Africa. Indeed, blackness becomes us and is still at the heart, if not the skin, of human motivation. Cain's sin is the dark birthmark on the heart of humankind. There is no washing it, bleaching it or covering it.

is nothing if not the latest discovery that the heart of human progress and civilization is universal blackness. Another toast: Here's to those who know that black is beautiful when it's worn proudly and defiantly toward those who don't know what they are at heart.

PBS's Nature revealed that whales can live as long as two hundred years in cold, clean environments relatively free of human habitation. Its recently televised program also pointed out that whales communicate at a high level of cooperation with other whales. The implication is that some of the older whales that were hunted for their oil have communicated their cautious fear of seafaring humans to the younger whales of today. Indeed, like many other creatures, whales have learned to be wary of black-hearted mammals.

So it came as quite a surprise to marine biologists that there is at least one breed of formerly hunted whales that approach natives and tourists who venture out to catch a glimpse of them. These apparently forgiving whales gently but enthusiastically nuzzle up to the boats to be stroked and even hugged by the passengers. Must be a leap-year-sized quirk of nature that can accept a similar origin of creation, appreciate a warm-blooded affinity, and care about births and deaths of family members.

I think our next discovery may be the Heart of the Universe.