I cannot help to think that the writers/creators of the show are at least familiar with some of these concepts.
Modern evolutionary synthesis
Recent single-origin hypothesis (RSOH)
Polymorphism
Population bottleneck (and how it relates to evolution)
a. Toba catastrophe theory
b. Black death/Bubonic Plague
I would be curious to hear what other fans had to say on this. I have my some spcific examples from the show in mind and who be happy to elaborate if any one else is interested in the subject.
I will start off by saying that these concepts are theories, and can be controversial. I do not intend to offend any one’s personal beliefs.
OK now that I said that I will start offending people now
It has been recently “discovered” (though the use of DNA) that around 60-thousand years ago the human species (as we know it today) migrated out of present day west Africa. What is thought to of happened was that there was a world wide Population bottle neck cause by the eruption of a massive volcano, The Toba catastrophe theory, in which a large percentage of the worlds population of humanoids died off. This event left only a small number of homo sapiens and Neanderthals on earth. What was left of the humans after this event we only the ones who were lucky enough to be living in a specific place and were strongest and the most resourceful to survive, leading to huge advancements in evolution of humans. After that those human were now capable of repopulating and becoming the most dominate species on the world.
I see the connection to BSG being the the population bottleneck was created
by the cylon attack and the survivors being the colonial fleet. It is my opinion that the only bright spot to the end of the show will be that there will be a re-population of earth (13th colony) in the future and that all of the people of earth will be descended from both human and cylon.
There’s some controversy about just where that bottleneck occured. West Africa has been the accepted place, but that may just be an accident of the fossil record. (I think W. Africa is the most likely place, BTW.)
I get what you’re saying about a bottleneck, but I’m not sure how it ties into the show.
So my thoughts on how it more relates to the show are:
The statement made by the cylons that they are the “children of humanity, and for a child to come into their own the parent must die” The way i see this statement is that for the humans to advance evolutionary and socially there must be a significant number of them die off, ie the population bottleneck. I feel this idea is further reflected by the statement Bill makes, we never asked ourselves why we worth saving and by the statement that Hera, “is the shape of things to come.” Also you could interpret Starbuck role as “the herald of the apocalypse” to mean that “colonial humans” are going to be gone to be replaced by something else.
Some lovely ideas there. I have long been one of the few ‘scientific rationalist’ types here at the forum, frequently pushing skeptical views and poo-pooing all the ‘god’, ‘Head characters’, etc stuff. Hoping and praying (oops… not praying) that no DEM or aliens make sudden and/or miraculous appearances in the final denouement.
So, while I feel your ideas about ‘population bottleneck’ could have currency I am pretty confident they do not. At least from a perspective of intent.
Numerous interviews with RDM and David Eick have just not revealed a dimension along the lines you suggest. (Now, if BSG was made by the producers of Numbers…) In fact, the downplaying of the mechanisms of the technologies, the deliberate obfuscation of explanation has been a particular strength of BSG. (Some of us love to pick around the edges, but at heart we know this is a story about people. About identity. What it means to be human.)
Or… it’s just that for any child to come into their own they must no longer be in the shadow of their own parents. This is not sci-fi or evolutionary theory: it’s Homer, or it’s Shakespeare; it’s just a part of the human condition.
A massively important and pertinent moment in the entire series. And at the very core of what BSG is all about.
Children are always the shape of the things to come. No secrets here. I tend to feel the emphasis given by many to Hera (and Nicky) is over-the-top. I reckon it is pretty obvious what they represent, especially as we really seem to be heading for a ‘Prince of Denmark’-type ending.
Again, it is quite possible to interpret so many aspects of BSG in the light enterprising theories. In the near future I plan a lengthy post (groan, groan, go my antagonists! And probably my supporters too.) on the inevitable essential meaninglessness of some well-loved and favoured canards like “the number twelve” and “mythology tie-ins” and “meanings of constellations”.
(Actually, let me summarise for you here and now, and save everyone lots of soporific reading: sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.)
I cannot help but think you are correct. In some respects, three abandoned cradles of civilization are proof enough.
I’m convinced the genocidal attack was to incite a forced exodus. The seven Cylon models would not necessarily be aware of this true purpose.
One thing to add. Should there be hints that Earth was not nuked Friday night, that would lend great credence to this area of speculation. It’s one of the things I’ll be looking for, besides enjoying the drama.
While I agree with your idea that the attack was apart of a larger plan I belive that we still don’t have all the facts about places like earth and kobal…
I get the feeling something big is coming… Not sure what though…
I am so glad they included the Recent single-origin hypothesis (RSOH) and worked it into the last show with the idea of Hera as the Mitochondrial Eve of modern humans.
What a fantastic end to argubly the best TV program ever.
Even to top it off we had the final space combat scene that I had been looking forward to.
