[Serious] Why defecation?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

God created all the animals, right? So he created all their systems, right? So the best system for taking in energy and disposing of waste involves shit, right? Nothing better occurred to an omnipotent omniscient being?

And I know there will be a lot of "yeah, butt!" posts. Please prove your points.

I'm not sure I understand why you feel it's not good enough. What do you consider to be it's biggest drawback?

First, pollution. Second, waste. Third, farts.

[John 6IX Breezy]

First, pollution. Second, waste. Third, farts.

I think the place to begin is with a proper understanding of the digestive system, ingestive behavior, and fecal composition. For example, something like 50% of fecal matter is composed of bacteria; that's an important number. And other plants and animals, including other bacteria, tend to reuse our waste for their own benefit.

Nature tends to be is very conservative. It rarely lets anything go to waste. Whatever isn't used at the individual level is accounted for at the ecological level.

So I'm not sure I see the same problem you see.

[ignoramus]

I seriously just got off the Bat God phone.

He said he had no choice but to make life this way due to the inherent limitations of the laws of physics for the specific universe we live in.
(He creates universes, but doesn't direct their evolution)

He said it was either this naturally imperfect life or no life at all. He chose to give us life. He also knew we would whinge a lot because of it.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

First, pollution. Second, waste. Third, farts.

I think the place to begin is with a proper understanding of the digestive system, ingestive behavior, and fecal composition. For example, something like 50% of fecal matter is composed of bacteria; that's an important number. And other plants and animals, including other bacteria, tend to reuse our waste for their own benefit.

Nature tends to be is very conservative. It rarely lets anything go to waste. Whatever isn't used at the individual level is accounted for at the ecological level.

So I'm not sure I see the same problem you see.

That's fine. But those three, contaminated ground and water, wasted resources, and contributions to global warming, are double-plus ungood.

---

I seriously just got off the Bat God phone.

He said he had no choice but to make life this way due to the inherent limitations of the laws of physics for the specific universe we live in.
(He creates universes, but doesn't direct their evolution)

He said it was either this naturally imperfect life or no life at all. He chose to give us life. He also knew we would whinge a lot because of it.

Superbeing with serious limitations. Got it.

[brewer]

This really has gone on for 4 pages?

I thought maybe CL had returned.

[John 6IX Breezy]

That's fine. But those three, contaminated ground and water, wasted resources, and contributions to global warming, are double-plus ungood.

Take contamination, for example. The word is species-dependent. Feces is contaminated from a human perspective because it has microorganisms which can cause disease in us. But those same microorganisms might not cause disease in another species. And more importantly microorganisms are themselves just using our fecal matter for their own survival. Feces is to them a buffet, not contaminated waste.

Put in other words, contamination often refers to the presence of bacteria. Which is an issue independent of the fecal matter itself.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

That's fine. But those three, contaminated ground and water, wasted resources, and contributions to global warming, are double-plus ungood.

Take contamination, for example. The word is species-dependant. Feces is contaminated from a human perspective, because it has microorganisms which can cause disease in us. But those same microorganisms might not cause disease in another species. And more importantly microorganisms are themselves just using our fecal matter for their own survival. Feces is to them a buffet, not contaminated waste.

Put in other words, contamination often refers to the presence of bacteria. Which is an issue independent of the fecal matter itself.

LOL Animals shy away from water with shit it in when they possibly can. Maybe it's a religious thing with them.

[John 6IX Breezy]

LOL Animals shy away from water with shit it in when they possibly can. Maybe it's a religious thing with them.

You are more or less correct on both accounts. Disgust is part of what's known as the "Behavioral Immune System." Pathogens are not evenly distributed throughout the environment; they are often localized in specific regions (e.g. feces). Disgust prevents disease through contact-avoidance, meaning you avoid ingesting, touching, or coming close to the contaminated object. But again, its a species-specific response; you and most animals might stay far away from the odor of a rotting corpse, but a vulture isn't disgusted by it and might even find it pleasurable.

There is definitely a lot of religious symbolism to purity and impurity.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Intestinal flora in one species can be beneficial, benign, or dangerous if ingested by another species. This, ahem, crap shoot is why feces is a hazard, over and above the literally rotten material therein.

As I mentioned above, solar power would have been a better choice. If a little old meat sack can realize this I have question God's abilities in that area.

[Pat Mustard]

I thought maybe CL had returned.

No, thank fuck.