A Chemistry Experiment

A reader wrote with this opening line, "I would think that a flood of swiftlet farmers would make a beeline to join your network."

To which my response was, "As for participants, I keep my fingers crossed. I deliberated on this for weeks - in the end I treat this as another experiment. What I want to do I am doing it anyhow, with group participation or not." Here, I am not an optimist!

I listened to Professor Peter Singer, a philosopher at Princeton University, delivered an address on "Ethics and Evolution" at Sydney University the other day.











In the lecture, he contents that "altruism", a human trait is part of human evolution, as a survival skill. "You help me and I'll help you in return. You scratched my back, I'll scratch yours. If I helped someone and it wasn't reciprocated, then why should I do it again?" Sure, we behave like that, don't we?

He went on, "Since it is a survival skill, it can be faked to better one's personal agenda." Sure again, don't we see such characters in our midst too?

There are all sorts of people around us. In cyberspace, people's behavior are accentuate further (or amplified) under anonymity.

Often there are emails or comments dropped in from the cold. I would normally acknowledge and respond to them. Soon as people get the information wanted, you don't hear from them again. Some may not even leave a word of appreciation.

At the other end, there are generous people who are willing to share what they have, even a little.

In between the spectrum, there are the "sincere impostors", with footprints everywhere, to befriend for the sole objective of "sucking" knowledge. I choose not to ruffle more feathers here. One takes time to observe before making judgment.

So what's the experiment?

A lesson from Chemistry... solutions are often clear, can't tell between acidic or alkaline. The test is simple - a litmus test (remember?). Pink or Blue, you can tell instantly after one dip.













In the first premise, intention is to give back something to people who offered their generosity. So what is a better test than this?

It is a good filter. At the end of the day.. it will show up PINK or BLUE, the count is irrelevant and doesn't matter.