I dont think there was even the slightest chance lol

shame - i was feeling peckish.

That's a very thought provoking post, PDM. I never really thought of it that way.
The one thing I'm left wondering, though, is how true this statement is:

"50,000 years ago we had no art, no religion, no sophisticated symbolism, no creative and innovative thinking, and quite possibly no language. "

It seems a bit extreme to me. How do we know that's true? It seems impossible for me to know if there was sophisticated symbolism or creative and innovative thinking 50,000 years ago. How could we even make such a statement?

As for art and religion, it may be true that we have no evidence of such things existing 50,000 years ago, but that doesn't mean they didn't exist, perhaps simply that no relics of them have been preserved. Perhaps it wasn't until 50,000 years ago that people learned to make more "indelible" expressions. The ability to write things down also came to us humans rather recently and suddenly, so perhaps before that we acquired the ability to sculpt or to paint with materials that would survive the generations. Artistic expression before then might have come in the form of music or story telling or dance. They may have sung and danced to their gods instead of making icons. Their shrine may have been a tree. Who knows?

I agree.

Anything made of wood, for example, is likely to have disappeared.

It does seem like we "evolved" quickly in these areas, and I doubt there will ever be an explanation that would satisfy all.

I personally do believe these are the events outlined in Genesis. I don't believe creationism and evolution are mutually exclusive events.

One has to consider the bible's author and audience's level of sophistication. Moses (whom many agree authored Genesis sometime around 1450 BC) would not have had the scientific sophistication to understand genetics, dna, cellular biology...to explain evolution, nor would his audience understood that, so he, as Jesus often did, used metaphor and parable to explain God's creation.

I am sure there are many scientific theories for the cultural/intellectual boom, and I welcome a viable explanation. Scientific discovery and explanations only serve to confirm my faith in God's hand being present in the process.

At my school, back in the late 60s & early 70s, one of our Scripture teachers was the local Anglican parish priest. He agreed with you that they were not mutually exclusive. He thought that 'Adam & Eve' could have been symbolic of early life.

Related thread:
evolution and creationism need not be mutually exclusive
http://www.wineintro.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=124542#Post124542


Certainly the Bible, like any other set of ancient texts, needs to be looked at in context.
There is some debate, though, as to who wrote the supposed works of Moses, I understand.

This subject has interested me for a while. I remember discussing it with Alan Alford, when I met him at a conference. He had included some (controversial) thoughts on it in his book.

I did not expect to find relevant information in a 'diet book' I bought.

I'm interested in nutrition and bought Dr John Briffa's book: 'The True You Diet'. This is what I found on pages 2-3:



Related note gives:
L Cordain et al;
'Fatty acid composition and energy density of foods available to African hominids: evolutionary implications for human brain development'.
World Review of Nutrition & Dietetics 2001; 90:166-61

Looking at your question, esp the 'sudden' time reference reminds me of the theory of "The Hundreth Monkey"

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

I have heard this theory before, and it seems to have validity on the surface, but I think it could only be a small part of the explanation. Why is it that other mammals, canine and feline, evolved as meat-eaters but did not experience this brain boost? Also, chimpanzees do occassionally eat meat, yet did not evolve with us?

Interestingly, the timing of this "cultural awakening" coincides with the extinction of Neandertal man. Coincidence? It seems unlikely...

[quote= JenniAnne]Interestingly, the timing of this "cultural awakening" coincides with the extinction of Neandertal man. Coincidence? It seems unlikely...[/quote] I cannot say that I agree with the idea that anything in nature is a coincidence. I am not a geneticist-but it doesn't seem to me like it takes much to cause a mutation in DNA, and just 1 tiny genetic variation over a period of time grows and mutates. The best example I can think of would be in dog breeding. Dogs originated with 1 (ok 2) common canine ancestors about 100,000 years ago when they mutated from wolves, they were domesticated between 17,000 and 14,000 years ago. There are now 800 breeds recognized by assorted kennel clubs around the world, and new breeds are still being certified, these are just the so-called pure-breed dogs--there is no way to tell how many variations there are within the so called mongrol categories. Breeding runts with runts created the various sizing standards within breeds. DNA mutations continue today in dogs, for example hip displatia is quite common in German Shepards,(generally considered to have originated with too much in-breeding). These same mutations have been occurring in humans, we are certainly becoming larger(height and weight) with each generation or so--which is a type of mutation resulting from nutritional differences. I thought the nourishment issue mentioned in PDM opening post was interesting, not so much the meat reference but the fish and fish oil. Many of us take fish oil tablets-Omega 3's for a variety of reasons, including heart health--but there is some research indicating it works on the brain as well. http://www.setma.com/article.cfm?ID=292 The opening of this article states: [quote]The recent return home of the only survivor of the Sago mine disaster, Randall McCloy Jr., seems miraculous and it was. Yet, there is a sound basis for his recovery. McCloy, who had suffered heart, kidney, and liver failure in addition to brain failure, returned home less than four months after the mining disaster. One of the principle reasons for this recover was Dr. Bailes’ administering of very high doses of Omega 3 Fish Oil to McCloy. McCloy received (and continues to take) 15 grams per day of EPA and DHA. Although a seemingly extraordinarily high dose, McCloy’s blood levels of these fatty acids were constantly monitored to maintain them within a therapeutic zone to maximize the reduction of systemic inflammation without compromising the body’s ability to fight infection. The implications of Randall McCloy’s remarkable recovery have widespread medical importance, not only for brain trauma patients, but also for any patient with neurological disorders. It has been demonstrated by Harvard Medical School that high-dose fish oil has significant benefits in treating bipolar depression, and a recent study demonstrated the same levels used by Dr. Bailes in treating Randall McCloy also demonstrated significant improvement in children with ADHD. Maybe this is why our grandmother called fish oil "brain food." [/quote] It seems very likely to me that as our ancestors traveled North-and thiers diets changed to include meats and fish--that would be a corresponding change/mutation in thier physiology.