How Long is a Piece of Food Chain?

The following is a series of notes in the order they were written. The notes were made after reading from two very different books; a fact book on insects and Journeys Out Of The Body by Robert A. Monroe.

People have domesticated silkworms for so long that these insects no longer exist in their natural habitat; they're entirely dependent on humans.

Individually we can learn a lot by observing, studying or researching insects. Many of society's inventions have been inspired by or modelled off of the insect world. If we would look more often to this secret world, it would give us a better perspective of our position in the grand scheme of things.

Scientists have developed 'insect robots' that mimic the agility of real insects. These robots are used to explore dangerous areas, such as minefields and the surface of other planets. The smallest of these robots are about the size of a coin and can be deployed by the military as miniature drones (UAVs) for covert operations.

 

Crickets and cicadas have been captured and reared by humans for the beautiful sounds they can produce. Keeping crickets as pets emerged in Ancient China.  In the early 12th century the Chinese people began holding cricket fights, a type of blood sport involving male crickets which is still popular to this day. The crickets are selected, bred, fed on special diets and kept separate by their keepers before being made to fight. Before fight night, female crickets are thrown into the mix to arouse the male's fighting spirit.

 

Insect farming is the practice of raising insects for agricultural purposes.

 

Beneficial insects (or beneficial bugs) are any species of insects that are viewed as being valuable to the smooth running of an agricultural system. The concept of beneficial is subjective and only arises in light of desired outcomes from a human perspective. In farming and agriculture, where the objective is to raise selected crops, insects that impede upon the production process are classified as pests, while insects that facilitate production are considered beneficial.

Researchers have been modifying the genetics of a variety of insects, such as mosquitoes, olive flies, fruit flies, moths and bollworms. There are various reasons and so-called benefits for doing this, the primary being pest control and reduction in the ability to reproduce. Geneticists plan to 'build a better bee' - because bees just clearly aren't good enough! Thousands of other insect and arthropod genomes have also been announced.

Insects were the first to 'domesticate' other animals. Ants 'tame' the larvae of particular butterflies and aphids to extract honeydew from them.



© Rosarinagazo CC 2.5

 

 

Termites created the first ever colonies with queens, soldiers and workers.

Does that confirm that this hierarchical behaviour is inherent within us; within nature?

Does it mean we have to accept and endure it?
Or is the difference that we can be conscious of it? If we're not happy about it we can rise above that system - evolve essentially.

Because it's a part of the insect world and seen throughout nature, does that make it right?

And if we find it difficult to consider that we may be dependent on some kind of intrinsic system, doesn't that suggest something?

But if we wanted to break away from the order would we be allowed?

 

Workers - Metropolis (1927)

Clearly the elite (above and beyond) function in that way, their mentality is to control and enslave. Though not all of us 'worker ants' share the same idea; we don't all want to be part of their present system or their future vision. Within nature there are the 'pests', those that go against the grain. Was this by design?

 



Saintly Maria - Metropolis (1927)

Are we fundamentally nothing more than big insects? The distinction being that we have a feeling there is something more going on behind the scenes; we're conscious of the bigger picture.

 

Insect Royalty

Termites constructed the first 'skyscrapers' - towers of baked mud and saliva that are home to millions of termites. The large white queen lives in a special royal chamber while the other chambers are used for raising the young or accumulating food.


Hey, maybe they really revere their queen.

 

Image by Kreuzschnabel/Wikimedia Commons, License: artlibre



 

Look at early civilizations with their pyramid-building and their king and queen, soldiers and servants. Obviously these hierarchies still exist today, they're just not so direct.

 

El Tajin, Mexico

 

 



Great Sphinx and Pyramid of Khafre, Egypt





 

 

 

 

 





Great Pyramid of Egypt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Insects have always been of great importance to human civilizations. People rear and use insects to obtain valuable materials, such as silk, honey and wax.

 

There are also many insects that need animal or human blood to survive.

 

Just as many cultures eat insects and consider them to be delicacies.

 

Depictions of scarab beetles were often carved on Ancient Egyptian gemstones and jewellery, as they were thought to bring good luck and ward off evil.

 

Where did this perception of evil begin?

Where did legends of mythical creatures stem from? Ignorance? Mere storytelling?

Are we less ignorant now or are we being deluded?

 

Naturally the Ancient Egyptians had a close connection with the insect world, of which they worshipped and treasured various arthropods.

 

Did mankind adopt the hierarchy that it observed from the insects?

 

 The insect world is a microcosm of ours. Our world is a microcosm of the universe, and so forth.

 

Are we at the top of the food chain?

Throughout man's history, fear and sexuality have been the major motivating and control characteristics in all forms of social organisation.

 

 

Is the human race being exploited?

Could the oppressors also be the oppressed?