Quoting Kim Stanley Robinson

In The Years of Rice and Salt, “The Widow Kang,” the character Kang Tongbi says

“…of all these religious figures of ancient times, only the Buddha did not claim to be a god, or to be talking to God. The others all claim to be God, or God’s son, or to be taking dictation from God. Whereas the Buddha simply said, there is no God. The universe itself is holy, human beings are sacred, all the sentient beings are sacred and can work to be enlightened, and one must only pay attention to daily life, the middle way, and give thanks and worship in daily action. It is the most unassuming of religions. Not even a religion, but more a way to live. “

The Years of Rice and Salt is a massive alternative history starting in the 1300s. For notes on this book, see The Years of Rice and Salt Trivia & Study Guide.

Strolling octopus

Two species of octopus have learned to walk slowly backwards on two legs. That enables them to move out of danger while holding a camouflage pose. Follow the link to read more and watch a video.

Divergent and convergent solutions

When I think of molluscs, I think first of clams, then maybe snails. I still remember when I was a child, finding out that octopods and squids were molluscs too. It was clear that they were a lot more active and intelligent than clams. I was impressed.

Studies of octopus brains reveal that they are very different from vertebrate brains, but some of the microscopic structure is very similar. It’s likely that those similarities represent a best solution to some functional requirements. For details, follow the link to Pharyngula’s “Octopus Brains” article.