Wednesday, March 28, 2012

I can fly?


I think the most commonly wished for "superpower" is the ability to fly.
That would in fact be too cool.
Whenever we picture people (or dragons, for that matter) with wings these are always IN ADDITION to our four limbs. Given the fact that wings in our branch of the evolutionary tree are the same genotypically as arms or forelegs, this is truly fantasy. Flight has evolved independently several times (insects, bats, and birds all got their wings under different circumstances), but it's a little late in the game for us to grow a third set of appendages.
That being said, wings are lovely! But they are still, for bad or good, IN PLACE OF arms.
On balance I'd rather have the latter.
Consider this the next time you dream of flying!

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