Weird nature

I am studying biology, and I am just finished with a module about ethology, which is the study of animal behaviour. Within this topic there are several topics, but one of the weirder ones are the ones about social and sexual relations when it comes to mating. Even though monogamy is the rule (at least traditionally, in the western world) among humans, that is definitely not the case among animals (I am going to draw a line of distinction here, because that is comfortable to me. I know that humans are a type of animal, but I decide here). In this topic, I have been introduced to not only monogamy, but polygyny, polyandry, and even polygynandry.

These are different social and sexual structures within populations of animals (and often humans as well). We are all acquainted with monogamy, or rather, as in today's society, serial monogamy. This is quite uncommon among animals, but some birds have this kind of relationship, and one of the reasons is that the care of their young takes a team effort. But then we have the other types of social and sexual relationship styles.

The most familiar of these is polygyny, or polygamy, which it is often called in humans. This is where one male has several female partners. This is quite normal, and in the species who have this, the females are often (but not always) left alone with the care of their young. The opposite arrangement also exists, where one female has several male partners. This is not very common, but in species with reversed gender roles, this can be quite common.

But the REALLY messed up thing in nature is polygynandry. Both females and males have multiple partners, but it's not a 'group sex' type of thing. In the example we studied, there were sophisticated social structures around this. One female had one to three male partners, and each of the males had one to three females total. Then there was the business of rank within the three males who had the one female, and to me, it just looked really complex.

So yeah, nature has a lot of weird things going on. And I haven't even touched upon the matter of homosexuality or strange ways of reproducing or weird courting systems and performances. But I will say one thing: birds are so much more diverse and interesting than I thought (most of the examples we had were from birds). But just remember that among humans, you find societies with monogamy, polygamy, and polyandry, so it's not just really weird (even though polygynandry is not the norm in any societies of humans that I know of, so to me, it is really weird).

I am sorry if this was a bit long, but I am trying to make up for the fact that I haven't written in a while (not really, it just became long). Here is a funny song about animal sex to make up for it.

Books read: 44
Pages read: 12507

Read it first!

Have you ever picked up the book behind a film you have watched and not nearly enjoyed it as much as you could, because it is spoiled for you? Well now there is a solution for you! Read it First is a website which promotes reading the book behind the film before seeing the film. For now, the only thing it offers is a weekly newsletter in which you get information about upcoming films and films currently in the cinema which are adaptations of books. You take a pledge, either to read the book before watching the film whenever humanly possible, or the 'light' version where you just pledge to want to know which films are based on books.

The best reason. And it's true for me as well.

Did you know, for example, that Die Hard by Bruce Willis is based on a book? The book is called Nothing Lasts Forever, and you can read about it and three other books behind films in the newest newsletter from Read it First. On the Read it First site you can also find some good reasons why you should read the book before watching the film. One is that the enjoyment per money spent is higher on a book than on a film, but personally, I like the one on the picture the best.

Talking about books, I find reading a very slow process these days. I just never find the time or motivation to sit down and read, even though Paper Towns is so far quite interesting, even though it is not quite my normal type of book. I don't know why I don't want to read, but it may be because of tumblr. Or other major distractions on the internet. I found this on tumblr, and it pretty much sums up the reasons why I can't get much work or reading done these days. I spend a LOT of time on tumblr...not good, not good at all.

Books read: 43
Pages read: 12166

Re-reading books

People often ask me why I re-read books. I mean, I have a good memory, so a year after I read a book the first time, I could probably remember most of the plot points, the names of the characters, and also probably the tone of the book. But still, I enjoy re-reading books. I usually wait at least one year between each re-read, but still, I go into the reading experience knowing what lies ahead.

For me, re-reading a book is kind of like talking to an old friend again after a while apart. You rediscover small things, you see things that you didn't see earlier because then you were just focused on the story and the suspense drove you on. Sometimes you even discover new facets of the book or maybe appreciate more fully the effort put into writing the book. Maybe you see new literary devices or the long lines in the narrative become clearer.

Anyway, reading a book you liked again makes the world of that book spring to your mind, and you can re-acquaint yourself with the characters and the world they live in. Usually, the experiences of reading a book the first time and the consecutive times I read it are quite different. Since I know what is going to happen and how, I can read slower, appreciating the language and imagery. Another huge plus is that I can usually put the book down easier if I've read it before. And, of course, if you own the book, re-reads are completely free! (The poor student speaks again.) I also have a 'rule' that I re-read series of books or books I have borrowed from the library or friends when I own them or the whole series.

But, of course, there are some books that are good to re-read, and there are some that aren't. A huge criteria is that I liked the book the first time I read it (unless, of course, I am giving a book a second chance). Another is that the story has enough nooks and crevices to discover new things, or that it is written in a way that makes me want to read it to experience the emotions again. Another criteria may be that I liked the characters, or maybe that I want to read a book to investigate some of the minor characters that I might have missed in my first (or even second) read.

At any rate, I value re-reads. I think it adds to the experience of the book and I have a great time revisiting old favourites. When it comes to re-reads in my fifty books challenge, I am following the rules laid down in a post on a forum called Your Pants, which allows me to read the same book up to five times a year. I will probably not read any book five times this year, but I might read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows twice (that is, once more this year). So re-reads are cheap and good fun (I think), so think about picking up a book you liked but haven't read in a while for your next read. Good reading!

Pages read: 12150
Books read: 43

Hush

The image of you that will live on in me
will not be complete.
The sad memories will shrink
into nothing and disappear,
but the happy memories will expand
and become happier,
bathed in a golden glow.

You will always be happy and healthy.
Nothing can mar your delight
in the warmth of the sun
or the smell of the mountain
on that perfect summer's day.

The laughter and smiles,
the happy times,
the wonderful hikes,
the things that you taught me
about the value of nature and life
will live on in my mind
and shape me as I go on.

So hush;
lay yourself to rest.
We both know
all the words
that should not be said.
But you have made my life
more perfect.



Credit goes to Terry Pratchett, for this wonderful quote. (Otherwise, this is written by me.)

Books read: 42