Spent the week in the mountains learning about waste water treatment, and more will be posted, but overall an interesting concept floated through my head while studying the wonderful world of sewage.
A treatment plant is dependent upon bacteria to decompose all the food (as tyhose in the business call it) as it comes in. However, unless we provide the optimal conditions for the bacteria to enjoy themselves, the process in the plant will stagnate or even stop.
And even if we do provide the optimum conditions and right level of food, regardless of how mush we demand the critters to eat, drink and be merry, they will only continue on the process if they feel like it. We cannot order them to eat and keep the process going. So, even though we see ourselves as the powerful driver for production and progress in this day and age, the lowly bacteria can flex its muscle (well, actually mitochondria) and say "nope, not today. just don't feel like it." And we are left to pleading to the bugs to eat. And who has the upper hand? True independence.
Had a few other witty things to add, but as I real a magazine that came today, someone else beat me to the comparison between bacteria and cats, and why bacteria make better pets. Now there's a different orbit.
