Einstein's spooky action at a distance re IISc Research On Species Extinction

[Guest guest]

This sounds like the species equivalent of what Einstein called

" spooky action at a distance, " a quantum effect whereby doing

something to a particle in one position in space may cause a particle

at a great distance to display similar action, as if the second

particle had also been acted upon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EPR_paradox

 

Kim

 

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>><http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2 & item_no=101830 & vers\

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asp?cu_no=2 & item_no=101830 & version=1 & template_id=40 & parent_id=22

>>Scientists throw new light on extinction

>> Published: Thursday, 10 August, 2006, 12:01 PM Doha Time

>>

>>*Bhubaneswar:* A single animal species is likely to become extinct from

>>different locations on Earth around the same time if a common external

>>factor, or " forcing " , is applied, say two Indian researchers.

>>

>>In a joint study, Professor Govindan Rangarajan of the Indian Institute of

>>Science, Bangalore, and Professor R E Amritkar, Physical Research

>>Laboratory, Ahmedabad, say that " synchronisation " of the species precedes

>>extinction if there is a common external forcing.

>>

>> " Such a forcing could be anything from an ice age, global warming or a

>>volcanic eruption to meteorites hitting the earth, threat from predators and

>>even large-scale hunting by humans, " their study states.

>>

>>The separated communities of the species synchronise together before

>>becoming extinct. Animal populations all over the world are likely to

>>synchronise their numbers before dying out, the researchers say.

>>

>>More than 99% of the species that ever existed on the surface of the earth

>>are now extinct, and their extinction on a global scale has been a puzzle

>>for scientists worldwide.

>>

>>Many are of the opinion that a specie under an external threat like climate

>>change, asteroids hitting the earth and volcanic eruptions may survive in

>>some isolated locations - leading to the revival of the species.

>>

>>However, the latest research conducted over a year suggests that if a specie

>>becomes extinct in one location, it becomes extinct globally in all

>>locations. Populations of a single animal species will become extinct at the

>>same time due to the common external factor, or " forcing " , according to the

>>study that has appeared in the June issue of the journal Physical Review

>>Letters.

>>

>>They have based their findings on a theory called Special Spatial

>>Synchronisation.

>>

>>The model, if correct, implies that isolating an endangered specie will not

> >necessarily mean it survives - a strategy often proposed by conservationists

>>and wildlife groups, it said.

>>

>>For example many species, including the giant dinosaurs, have disappeared.

>>Thus was due to catastrophic events.

>>

>> " They became extinct since the climatic conditions became unfavourable, "

>>Rangarajan told IANS in an e-mail interview.

>>

>>There are many species facing extinction like the spider monkey of Colombia

>>and the black howler monkey among other species, said Rangarajan.

>>

>> " We started with some experimental data showing that a predator can

>>synchronize prey populations across different locations, " he said.

>>

>> " We developed a general model based on this and applied techniques from

>>non-linear dynamics to study the problem, " said Rangarajan, who did his MSc

>>from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science at Pilani.

>>

>> " It is not clear whether human beings face extinction. If there is a

>>catastrophic event like large asteroids hitting the earth, this can happen, "

>>he said. Similarly, global warming can play a role in future extinctions. -

>>Indo-Asian News Service

>>

>>

> >