The Fire Pit

Thoughts on the fire pit: The fossil record indicates that the last common ancestor of the genus Homo and the genus Pan (Chimps), was some 5 mya. As the hominid line evolved over the past several million yrs., they eventually acquired fire. At first accidental recoveries from nature, like from lightening strikes. Later, man acquired the capability of commanding fire at will, first using flint and/or the friction principle with wood. Fossil records of planned fire pits exist some 400,000 before present near the mouth of caves in southern France. This means man evolved over the last 0.4 million years in direct association with fire. The center of camp would be the fire pit especially in cold European climates durring the great ice ages. Fire tenders were regarded with utmost respect by the tribe, as evidenced by extant Native American cultures, who called these individuals "fire keepers". Fuel acquisition had to be continuous. As night fell, especially in northern climes women & children essentially existed on the margins of fire pits for warmth and safety for many months at a time. All this means than man literally evolved breathing smoke from birth, iin direct association with fire pits and cooking. The patterns of our cilia in our trachea and bronchi differ dramatically from our closest cousins in the genus Pan who/which did not evolve with fire. Our cilia are much better developed, denser, beat faster, and are designed to continuously remove particulates from smoke from the trachae for deposition into the esophagus. Forensic anthropologists believe this is associated in the genus Homo with the development of fire. It is my personal belief that pipe smoking most closely resembles this long association with fire. Deep inhalation with cigarettes less so. How else to explain the long life spans of Bertrand Russell (98), Pablo Casals (96), Alger Hiss (92), Shelby Foote (89), etc. So I say Enjoy your pipes gentlemen. Our pipes are in essence portable campfires that lend warmth and security throughout our day, much as the fire pit did throughout our evolutionary history.

Have you ever been camping, especially late fall or winter camping? You basically live on the margins of the fire pit. Now imaging doing this 24/7, for 400 hundred thousand years. Humans grew up as a species with fire and smoke. Our respiratory system basically evolved to deal with smoke and particulates in smoke. Now flash forward, where the scientist in a white lab coat, breathing filtered air conditioned air tells us to avoid smoke. Meanwhile they're drugging our kids, feeding us high fructose corn syrup and GMO foods, pushing soda pop as a way of life, and hypnotizing the populace with corporate sponsored media news and TV programming, where every third advertisement is for some pharmaceutical product to help us sleep, or quell out anxieties, or promote weight loss.

LOL Cortez. I'm not saying we should all go back to the Stone Age. And of course today we enjoy much, much longer life spans. No doubt. But I am saying fire and smoke is not alien to our species. We were brought up on it. Literally. And in a way pipe smoking pays homage to that fact. Dragon - I'd never call you Homo. Human bean will do just fine. For the both of us. LOL.