Arthur C. Clarke Dies
Arthur C. Clarke, whom I consider the best Science Fiction author ever, died in Sri Lanka at age 90. Sri Lanka had been Clarke’s home since 1956. I loved his books because I love “realistic” science fiction. In other words, he really pondered the scientific/technical feasibility, and many of his depicted scenarios were quite feasible in potential technology and cultural contexts. I can never watch that crap on the Sci-Fi Channel after reading Clarke’s books! Arthur C. Clarke might be best known to the general public as co-author of the book/movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. He wrote over 100 works of fiction and non-fiction, including the books Childhood’s End and Rendezvous with Rama.
Hobbits in Palau? More bones of little people found
 Location of Palau |
A fascinating discovery has been made that may shed light on the Homo florensis mystery. Thousands of bones (dated 900 to 2,900 years old) have been found in caves in the Pacific island of Palau, the older of which are of humans 3 to 4 foot in height. Although the estimated brain size is twice that of the “Flores Hobbits”, the bones exhibit primitive characteristics.
Researchers are leaning on classifying these remains as Homo sapiens, with insular dwarfism, the island-dwarfing evolutionary effect.
See more on the story below:
National Geographic:
Ancient Bones of Small Humans Discovered in Palau
Scientific American: Hobbit Watch:
Tiny bones from Palau don’t detract from hobbit’s uniqueness
The Flores Hobbit: Cretins?
I don’t think so.
You might have heard the lastest on the Flores hobbit story; that some Australian researchers are claiming they were actually modern humans suffering from cretinism (myxoedematous endemic cretinism, to be precise). The researchers include iodine deficiency as a cause of the cretinism.
Iodine deficiency is usually caused by a lack of seafood (in the days before idodized salt, of course), but remember the skeletons were found only 15 miles from the ocean shore. So my first thought was… when has 15 miles ever been much of a barrier to stone age hunters and gatherers? This just doesn’t add up.
An article on Scientific American shows most scientists don’t agree with this interpretation, and it is pointed out that the researchers didn’t even read the data correctly:
Scientific American: Hobbit Watch:
Experts slam the cretin hypothesis