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- Stephen R. Palumbi - Michael Pollan Evolution seems to be guided by the hand of nature, a hand that moves at a glacier's pace, building success upon success, adaptation upon adaptation. Man's influence has grown over thousands of years to rival the power of nature. Our dams tame the most wild and powerful rivers, our medicines destroy the deadliest pathogens, our nuclear weapons poison and destroy the land, the chemicals we release rain down and wither forests. Man has another, perhaps even greater but infinitely more subtle effect on the natural world. Of course, everything alive on this planet Is constantly changing, adapting, evolving. Humans have been and are now on nature's drawing table. We change with each new generation but we, above all other creatures seem to have the power to effect rapid evolution in both plants and animals, whether or not we intend to do so. From the earliest hybrid fruits and vegetables to the insect resistant crops of today, humans have been tinkering in Nature's realm. Since wolves made their evolutionary leap to become dogs, humans have been a powerful catalyst for change in the natural world. Living things have evolved over time, some to benefit and some to harm us. We represent an unprecedented force on this planet -- the world changes around us, for and against us. The ability to travel anywhere on the globe, land and sea, has allowed thousands of organisms to be introduced to new, otherwise unreachable places (often to devastating effect) to which they must adapt and of course, the locals must evolve to greet the competition (or predator) as well. Humans alone seem to cause such rapid and profound evolutionary change.  A scene from the exhibition fair Jeff Tuzik at left and Paul Nelson to the right. |