5.16.2008
Flying is Probably Not in our DNA
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But don't tell that to Yves Rossy, a Swiss inventor who strapped on a pair of wings coupled with a jetpack of his invention and soared above the Alps.
During the flight, Rossy reached a speed of 186 MPH and executed loops, figure-eights, and barrel rolls.
This brings up an important point. The point is that we evolve (and so do all organisms) through stress. Stress reveals weaknesses in body systems, change is driven by the need to adapt and in the very short-term, by the development of work-arounds and quick fixes in one system which ultimately influence other systems and then finally, DNA is amended, like a Bill entering the House, getting support, getting vetoed by the president, being sent back for legislative review, and then finally passing.
A skeptical view would be that flight is impossible. Once man flew too close to the sun and suffered molten waxen wings and an interminable spiral back to earth, why try again? "Everyone knows that xyz is impossible," the conventional wisdom says, and even if it is possible, and you prove it with something akin to executing the tough yo-yo trick 'walking the dog', then there are a legion of reasons why they'll tell you it should not be done now. Many officials take this posture, not necessarily intentionally - they want to believe, but because of the downside of risk. This stance is not even unique to industries, you could say it is axiomatic behavior for all incumbents...you just have to keep chiseling away
During the flight, Rossy reached a speed of 186 MPH and executed loops, figure-eights, and barrel rolls.
This brings up an important point. The point is that we evolve (and so do all organisms) through stress. Stress reveals weaknesses in body systems, change is driven by the need to adapt and in the very short-term, by the development of work-arounds and quick fixes in one system which ultimately influence other systems and then finally, DNA is amended, like a Bill entering the House, getting support, getting vetoed by the president, being sent back for legislative review, and then finally passing.
A skeptical view would be that flight is impossible. Once man flew too close to the sun and suffered molten waxen wings and an interminable spiral back to earth, why try again? "Everyone knows that xyz is impossible," the conventional wisdom says, and even if it is possible, and you prove it with something akin to executing the tough yo-yo trick 'walking the dog', then there are a legion of reasons why they'll tell you it should not be done now. Many officials take this posture, not necessarily intentionally - they want to believe, but because of the downside of risk. This stance is not even unique to industries, you could say it is axiomatic behavior for all incumbents...you just have to keep chiseling away
Labels: alps, bill, chiseling, dna, flight, president, rossy, stress, swiss
