The hamster wheel

Hamster wheels are exercise toys used by hamsters and other rodents. Most of these toys are composed of a runged wheel held on a stand by a pair of stub axles. Hamster wheels allow rodents to run even when their space is confined. [...] Like other rodents, hamsters are highly motivated to run in wheels; it is not uncommon to record distances of 9 km (6 miles) ran in one night. Other 24-h records include 43 km (26 miles) for rats, 31 km (18.5 miles) for wild mice, 19 km (11.5 miles) for lemmings, 16 km (9.5 miles) for laboratory mice, and 8 km (5 miles) for gerbils.^[5] Hypotheses to explain such high levels of running in wheels include a need for activity, substitute for exploration, and stereotypic behaviour, but various experimental results strongly suggest that wheel running, like play or the runner's high, is rewarding in and of itself and highly valued by the animals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamster_wheel

No, I won't be devoting my entire blog to the hamster wheel, but it is easy to find parallels between the lives of people and that of rodents. Like rodents, we enjoy the safe and comforting life in the "hamster wheel", where we substitute critical thinking and the uncomfortable truths for the soothing motion of the wheel. In the wheel, our goal is limited to obtaining the occasional "highs". We have accepted this conditioning because of its payoffs. Where would we be without the wheel?

But I don't believe that this kind of life is the life an evolved human should live. We are made to explore, discover and open our eyes. So in this blog, I wish to address current issues and give my own interpretations. I might also went some frustration I have over where we have ended up.