iowahawk: Top Scientists Warn: Sea Gods Angry

Top Scientists Warn: Sea Gods Angry

Per iowahawk: "CNN 'science' 'writer' Alan Weisman examines the Icelandic volcano eruption and deduces the cause: an angry Gaia striking back at us carbon sinners."

I think we should start keeping a list of these alleged links between the volcano and human behavior. Limbaugh thinks it was God's punishment for passing health care. The ayatollahs think it was God's punishment for modern dress styles on women. I'll bet Pat Robertson has some excellent reasoning as well.

The Ancient Greeks actually had a myth which could apply in this case. Before trying to escape Crete with a flying invention made of wax and feathers, Daedalus warned his son Icarus not to fly too close to the sun. Icarus was overcome with the joy of flight, and momentarily forget about his destination so he could just soar exultantly and aimlessly through the sky. In that process he came too close to old Mister Sun, which melted the wax and caused him to plummet into the sea. (The Icarian Sea. As Steven Wright might say, he should have seen that coming.) In modern terms, think of the airline industry as Icarus, and the volcano which stopped air traffic as God's punishment against us for the hubris of flight. Now that at least would make some sense. Ancient myths may seem silly to us, but they at least tried to tie cause to effect.

You know you're in trouble when the ancient Greeks make more sense than you do.