New York Times on the Web Forums Science

Missile Defense

Russian military leaders have expressed concern about US plans for a national missile defense system. Will defense technology be limited by possibilities for a strategic imbalance? Is this just SDI all over again?

rshowalter - 03:38pm Sep 17, 2001 EST (#9299 of 9302)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

I find this a moving, practical, profound, beautiful piece of art and journalistism.

Of Altruism, Heroism and Evolution's Gifts in the Face of Terror
By NATALIE ANGIER http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/18/health/psychology/18ALTR.html

"For the wordless, formless, expectant citizens of tomorrow, here are some postcards of all that matters today:

" Minutes after terrorists slam jet planes into the towers of the World Trade Center, streams of harrowed humanity crowd the emergency stairwells, heading in two directions. While terrified employees scramble down, toward exit doors and survival, hundreds of New York firefighters, each laden with 70 to 100 pounds of lifesaving gear, charge upward, never to be seen again.

" As the last of four hijacked planes advance toward an unknown but surely populated destination, passengers huddle together and plot resistance against their captors, an act that may explain why the plane fails to reach its target, crashing instead into an empty field outside Pittsburgh.

" Hearing of the tragedy whose dimensions cannot be charted or absorbed, tens of thousands of people across the nation storm their local hospitals and blood banks, begging for the chance to give blood, something of themselves to the hearts of the wounded — and the heart of us all — beating against the void.

"Altruism and heroism. If not for these twin radiant badges of our humanity, there would be no us, and we know it. And so, when their vile opposite threatened to choke us into submission last Tuesday, we rallied them in quantities so great we surprised even ourselves.

"Nothing and nobody can fully explain the source of the emotional genius that has been everywhere on display. Politicians have cast it as evidence of the indomitable spirit of a rock-solid America; pastors have given credit to a more celestial source. And while biologists in no way claim to have discovered the key to human nobility, they do have their own spin on the subject. The altruistic impulse, they say, is a nondenominational gift, the birthright and defining characteristic of the human species.

"As they see it, the roots of altruistic behavior far predate Homo sapiens, and that is why it seems to flow forth so readily once tapped. Recent studies that model group dynamics suggest that a spirit of cooperation will arise in nature under a wide variety of circumstances.

""There's a general trend in evolutionary biology toward recognizing that very often the best way to compete is to cooperate," said Dr. Barbara Smuts, a professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan, who has published papers on the evolution of altruism. "And that, to me, is a source of some solace and comfort."

"Moreover, most biologists concur that the human capacity for language and memory allows altruistic behavior — the desire to give, and to sacrifice for the sake of others — to flourish in measure far beyond the cooperative spirit seen in other species.

"With language, they say, people can learn of individuals they have never met and feel compassion for their suffering, and honor and even emulate their heroic deeds. They can also warn one another of any selfish cheaters or malign tricksters lurking in their midst.

""In a large crowd, we know who the good guys are, and we can talk about, and ostracize, the bad ones," said Dr. Craig Packer, a professor of ecology and evolution at the University of Minnesota. "People are very concerned about their reputation, and that, too, can inspire us to be good."

"Oh, better than good.

(more)

(3 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense