“The Japanese monkey, Macaca fuscata, had been observed in the wild for a period of over 30 years. In 1952, on the island of Koshima, scientists were providing monkeys with sweet potatoes dropped in the sand. The monkey liked the taste of the raw sweet potatoes, but they found the dirt unpleasant. An 18-month-old female named Imo found she could solve the problem by washing the potatoes in a nearby stream. She taught this trick to her mother. Her playmates also learned this new way and they taught their mothers too.
“This cultural innovation was gradually picked up by various monkeys before the eyes of the scientists. Between 1952 and 1958 all the young monkeys learned to wash the sandy sweet potatoes to make them more palatable. Only the adults who imitated their children learned this social improvement. Other adults kept eating the dirty sweet potatoes.
“Then something startling took place. In the autumn of 1958, a certain number of Koshima monkeys were washing sweet potatoes — the exact number is not known. Let us suppose that when the sun rose one morning there were 99 monkeys on Koshima Island who had learned to wash their sweet potatoes. Let’s further suppose that later that morning, the hundredth monkey learned to wash potatoes.
“THEN IT HAPPENED! By that evening almost everyone in the tribe was washing sweet potatoes before eating them. The added energy of this hundredth monkey somehow created an ideological breakthrough!
“But notice: A most surprising thing observed by these scientists was that the habit of washing sweet potatoes then jumped over the sea…Colonies of monkeys on other islands and the mainland troop of monkeys at Takasakiyama began washing their sweet potatoes. Thus, when a certain critical number achieves an awareness, this new awareness may be communicated from mind to mind.
“Although the exact number may vary, this Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon means that when only a limited number of people know of a new way, it may remain the conscious property of these people.
“But there is a point at which if only one more person tunes-in to a new awareness, a field is strengthened so that this awareness is picked up by almost everyone!”
This is an excerpt from the book by Ken Keyes, jr. “The Hundredth Monkey.”
If you are not familiar with the book, you might like to read it and think about the possibilities for space exploration and travel off-world.
If some ‘critical mass’ of Everyday Spacers may tip the scales and leverage the whole world to some awareness and/or action, how can we decide against doing everything we can to make the possibility come true?
If it doesn’t work that way, we won’t lose anything by doing everything we can to make our dreams come true.
I’ll delve into some practical matters in this cause in #101.
NOTES:
*All are able to do something
*Any age can make things happen
*Any cost from free to the ultimate sacrifice
Sources
*http://www.lightshift.com/Inspiration/monkey.html
*http://www.flickr.com/photos/20138710@N04/7096635285/
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Excellent article. I am currently trying to build awareness with a group I am involved with. Keep up the good work.
This reminds me of the Facebook phenomena. Participating in Facebook is a social behavior that some baby boomer “monkeys” have adopted while others have not. The ones that are on Facebook, are connecting more frequently with their grandchildren and some have learned how to use it for business. Eventually, I see more and more older “monkeys” using Social Media. Perhaps this will bring the generations together. We shall see!