The Chimera and the Holobiont

 

 

This is my first video dedicated to the Chimera myth. It is a long story that involves myths, biology, history, psychology, symbols, and much more. I tried to do my best, I am sorry if the video is not perfect, but it is very difficult to make professional videos and I am learning while doing my best. So, I hope you'll enjoy this video that deals also with a favorite concept of mine: the Holobiont.  

I hope you may find the clip interesting. It was not easy to make it: I am not a professional and I have to apologize if it is a little rough at some moments. But I did my best. I have also to thank the Frilli Gallery in Florence and Ms. Clara Marinelli for having allowed me to film their full-size replica of the Chimera of Arezzo.

It is a Lion! It is a Goat! It is a Snake! No! It is a Holobiont!

 

 

Maybe 25 years ago, my friend Susan came from California to visit me in Florence. She saw the statuary piece of the Chimera of Arezzo and asked me what that was supposed to mean. I said, "I don't know for sure, but I'll find out." 

That involved much research, papers written, a blog created, and an entire book in Italian. And yet, I can tell you that I was yesterday night that understood what a Chimera really is. Just before falling asleep, I had this flash: here is it: A holobiont! (*) So obvious!

And that's no mere definition: it opens up a whole new layer of interpretation of the chimera as a horizontal contamination of memes. Memes do replicate horizontally, just like bacteria do. Truly mind-blowing, I am still shocked by what I was thinking yesterday night. 

There will be more on this, but for the moment I just wanted to mention this discovery to you. Life is beautiful when you can think of such things!

 

(*) you may not know what a holobiont is, but there is an entire blog of mine about that