Vela Supernova

One of the interesting reasons for shortening the life span, according to the scientific discoveries is the cosmic radiation. Approximately 10.000-12.300 years ago the nearby Vela Supernova erupted. Although it is 1.300 light years far from us still its radiation is now shortening the life span of all the species in this earth planet. In other words, because the cosmic radiation prior to its burst was much lesser on this planet naturally the life span of all living entities was much longer.

Telomere Loss

Telomerase is an enzyme composed of a catalytic protein component and an RNA template which synthesizes DNA at the ends of chromosomes and confers replicative immortality to cells.

During DNA replication, telomerase functions to maintain telomere length. Without sufficient telomerase activity, telomeres become successively shorter with each round of cell division. If telomeres disappear, chromosomes lose stability and the cell’s ability to replicate is compromised. Thus, loss of telomerase activity and the disappearance of telomeric DNA is associated with aging. (Arking, 313-27)

Caloric Restriction

New discoveries by scientists speak about possibility of extending life up to 40% just by reducing the food intake (calories) by 30-70%. Making experiments with yeast the researchers of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that certain genes of the yeast’s chromosome, due to normal cellular activity become excised from chromosome; start self-replicating, accumulating and to compete with the yeast’s genome for vital enzymes and other cellular materials. These genes are called extrachromosomal DNA circles, or ECs that are toxic cells and decrease longevity in yeast.

Further, Jeffrey S. Smith et al have found that the enzyme Sir2 to the selection effect plays a significant role in reducing the accumulation of ECs, thereby extending the life span of yeast. (Sir2 has been found throughout the biological realm, including in humans.²²) The activity Sir2 starts when energy of the cell decreases for example due to lower food intake what means decreased calories. At that time the following chain of action takes place. The Sir2 compresses the chromosomes – the genes become silenced – the production of ECs diminishes and thus the life span c-increases. The conclusions of the discoveries are applicable not only to yeast but also to humans because Sir2 has been discovered in humans.

Regarding this it is interesting that by taking vegetarian meals one ensures the intake high levels of antioxidants and prevents the intake of highly toxic food found in meat. Moreover the calorie amount of vegetarian food is much less than that of the same amount of meat what ultimately, as mentioned before influence the duration of life span.

Recent discoveries of Elizabeth Pennisi (“Old Flies May Hold Secrets of Aging,” Science 290 (2000), 2048) and Blanka Rogina et al. (“Extended Life Span Conferred by Contransporter Gene Mutations in Drosophila,” Science 290 (2000), 2137-40.) are shedding new light on aging. They carried out an experiment mutating a gene of metabolism in the fruit fly. As the metabolism became less efficient the energy or the calorie extraction from the food also decreased resulting thus doubled life span.

One more interesting gene mutation worthy to mention is the newly discovered Methuselah gene that has been shown to prolong the life span in fruit flies when mutated. The function of the unmutated gene is still unknown. (Yi-Jyun Lin et al., “Extended Life Span and Stress Resistance in Drosophila Mutant methuselah,” Science 282 (1998), 943-46).

Reactive Oxygen Species

The Free-radical theory is nowadays major theory of aging made up by Dr. Denham Harman. The free radicals are highly reactive, imbalanced molecules that contain even numbers of electrons. They are usually the byproducts of normal metabolism and are associated with the degenerative aging process. Free radicals steal electrons from healthy cells to neutralize their own charge, causing cellular damage and so they are called the reactive oxygen species (ROS). Some of them are the superoxide (O2-), the hydroxy (OH), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). In reactions with undamaged molecules, they abstract a part to complete their own electronic structure, creating thus new radicals that go on to react with other molecules. The free radicals are also produced by exposure to cigarette smoke, smog and other environmental pollutants, harmful chemicals, toxins, and even sunlight. Briefly, that people age because highly reactive molecules known as free radicals or Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) inside cells damage the DNA, protiens and other cellular structures,

Cells do have mechanisms to counteract many of the harmful effects of ROS. For example, the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase hunt the free radicals superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, respectively.10 Cells also have additional antioxidants such as glutathione, peroxidase, and vitamins E and C.11 However, these protective systems are insufficient to prevent all the damage caused by ROS over a cell’s lifetime.

The pharmacologists found that administering SOD/catalase enzyme mimetics to a study group of worms (Caenorhabditis elegans) can extend the worms’ average life span by 44% by providing additional defense against the damage that free radicals cause. Not only does the worm study help define the role of ROS in the aging process, it also indicates that human life span could be, and in fact, may be lengthened or shortened by this “pharmacological intervention.” (Melov et al., 1567-69).

Researchers also have been able to extend the life span of fruit flies by about 40% through similar means. Instead of using enzyme mimetics, scientists manipulated the fruit flies’ genes, causing their mitochondria to produce more SOD and catalase. Raha and Robinson, 502-08.

Genome Size

Researches by Pat Monaghan and Neil B. Metcalfe, at the Glasgow University in United Kingdom, resulted in new discovery (2000) of the relationship of genome size and longevity. The results of their work was published in magazine Trends in Genetics 16 (2000), 331-32.

NOTE: Genome is the complete genetic material of an organism including DNA and RNA.

Clear explanations why would bigger genomes slow down aging does not exist, yet the assumption is that before a cell goes through different stages of transformation (cell cycle) culminating in cell division – the DNA of the cell must be replicated to produce second copies of the genome. The larger the genome, the longer it takes to DNA to replicate what explains longer life span due to long cell cycle.

Briefly, all the above mentioned factors favorably support the description of the ancient scriptures of different cultures that people in the bygone ages lived longer than nowadays, in this age of moral and religious degradation. Repeating the knowledge of the Vedas to his disciples A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada said:

“…the stature is changing. It is not the species that is changeing. It is the same human, but formerly the human being was taller, stouter; now they are reducing in strength, in stature, in memory, in duration of life, in mercy. That is stated in Bhagavatam…”

As the matter of fact based on archeological researches here we would like to mention the greatly filtered discoveries about gigantic human fossils. Obviously, they are a direct support of both the devolution theory through ages and the descriptions of the ancient scriptures telling about tall human beings.

In the next section of this essay we would like to give some information about giants since they are also mentioned in the Vedic literature. It is an interesting question whether we the human species and the monkeys evolved from small common ancestors or devolved from giants.

Giants of the bygone ages

To give a good empirical evidence for the existence of giants in the remote past is quite a difficult task because we have to face both great filtering of knowledge and discoveries (see: ‘Archaeological Coverups’)and also some expertly created artifacts used for hoax. Moreover, although there is a guideline of Tacitus how to write about history – sine ira et studio, free from hostility and bias – that was not always followed and so, to know and rebuild the truth of the bygone ages is not at all easy.

As even for reconstructing the history there is a need for evidence so the existence of giants in the past would need some more archeological evidences then those nowadays available. Of course, if we would take the writings of ancient civilizations more seriously then only as mythologies we could use that for finding out the past history. For example, when Schliemann although, not very expert archeologist, desired to find Troy, other scientists were laughing about him considering the story of the Troy only a mythology, but than later when during his excavations he really located Troy, Schliemann became one of the world’s most famous archeologist. Isn’t this telling to us that we can learn even from the writings of ancient civilizations that we proudly and belittlingly call mythologies?

Actually, it is only the anthropologists who have the theory that just as in the past there were big plants, animals and aquatics similarly the existence of the big giants as described in the narrations of Mayan’s, Hindu, Chinese end other ancient cultures must be also true. They say that once the giants existed in great number, and were dominating the race prior to the advent of modern and smaller races of men and women. Being warlike, they diminished their number in great wars (as the thousands of mound burials in the Ohio River Valley indicate), and were eventually subjugated by the smaller, but more numerous races.

Here we would like to briefly mention about the interesting work of Dr Franc Weidenreich (1873-1948). In 1946 he published a book "Apes, Giants and Man," in which he brings forth a very revolutionary theory that the ancestors of man before the separation of the modern races, were not pygmies, as often believed, but rather, giants, at least in respect to the size and massiveness of their skulls and jaws, whatever their height may have been. Importantly, this is not an unsubstantiated theory but rather a supported conclusion with comprehensive and detailed morphological and paleontological evidence.

Describing the Gigantopithecus he wrote: ... But the gist of the whole story, which arouses our foremost interest, is the fact that "Gigantopithecus" is not a giant ape, as von Koenigswald assumed, but a giant man and should, therefore, be called "Gigantanthropus." This follows beyond any doubt from the very characteristic pattern of the occlusal surface of the teeth, which differs fundamentally in the structure of the cusps from that of any known anthropoids but agrees even in the minutest details with the hominid pattern as shown by the molars of "Pithecanthropus," Sinanthropus" and even modern man. On the other hand, the form of the teeth, especially that of the third lower molar, and the condition of its root indicate that it has preserved a very primitive character, much more primitive than the known third molars of any fossil hominid. Therefore, we have the same combination which struck us in the human fossils of Java; namely, primitiveness together with gigantic proportions. But in the case of "Gigantopithecus" the gigantism reaches a new climax. The volume of the crown of the third lower molar is about six times larger than the average crown of modern man; compared with the corresponding tooth of the gorilla, it is about twice as large.

Despite all his careful analyses, nowadays on the ground of new archeological discoveries this opinion is not anymore accepted. Based on the fossil records, Gigantopithecus is now placed among the Asian apes, a descendant, along with the orangutan, of the earlier ape ancestor Sivapithecus, best known from an 8-million-year-old skull discovered in Pakistan. Its size and ape affiliation suggest Gigantopithecus was a ground-dwelling, fist-walking creature. Whether this is again a biased, prejudiced conclusion of “leading” scientists is still to be analyzed.

But anyhow, let’s now see few giant human bones that are available for examination and later some evidences that were found or examined by esteemed scientists but later disappeared due to archeological cover-ups by Smithsonian Instititute.

The Lovelock Mummies - from ‘The Unexplained’, Karl P Shuker, Barnes and Noble Inc., 1997.

In 1911, several mummified remains of mysterious red-haired humans ranging from 2-2.5 meters(6 1/2 to over 8 feet) tall were disinterred in Lovelock cave, 112 kilometers (70 miles) north-east of Reno, Nevada, by a guano mining operation. These substantiated the local Piute Indians' legends of such people, which they called the Si-Te-Cahs. Yet scientists proved oddly reluctant to investigate these remains and eventually most the bones were simply discarded by the miners. What was left was salvaged by various local people, only for most of it to be destroyed when the shed they were kept in caught fire and burned to the ground. However, one of the Lovelock skulls, almost 1 foot tall, is preserved with some related bones and artifacts at the Humboldt County Musuem in Winnemucca, Nevada, and various Lovelock artifacts are also held at the Nevada State Historical Society's musuem in Reno.

In the archeological report from Kerala written by G, Palakkad (Kerala) we can read about the following discovery explained by Krishna Swamy. He said:

“The big footprints are similar to the footprints found in

Australia

and Texas in the

United States

. It is believed to be of a giant of 8 to 9 feet tall and around 360 kilograms in weight. We have found a particular site where there was a huge footprint of 2.6 feet in length. According to the length it is believed to be of around 400 kilograms in weight and 17 feet in height. The particular big footed creature about which we are speaking had arranged a set up inside the rock shelter to watch the movements of other animals. It must be a carnivorous, no doubt".

According to the evidence available, the creature must have lived around 30,000 years ago. “We have found water, a river and valleys around the cave. According to the evidence it must have lived around 30, 000 years ago,” Krishna Swamy added.

The site is believed to have many items of geological and anthropological importance.

Click here to read the article - 'Original' great ape discovered'.

Now, the following report was published in the scientific magazine Nature, 254:553, April 17th, 1975.

The footprint of a human being, apparently fleeing toward the Gediz River from a volcanic eruption, was discovered in volcanic ash during the construction of a dam near Demirkopru, Turkey, in 1970. The age of the ash was determined to be 250,000 years old by the Turkish Mineral Research and Exploration Institute in Ankara, and the print was pronounced human by the National Laboratory of Forensic Science in

Sweden

. If so, whoever made the print was an antecedent of Neanderthal man.

There is one another site of huge bones that according to Cieza de Leon, can be still found in

Peru

Ecuador

's southern neighbor at Manta and Puerto Viejo. Their huge greatness and proportion is thrice as big as the Indians.

Except direct evidences of bones, skulls and skeletons there are some indirect evidence for the existence of giants, For example, recently, a basalt megatool or a monstrous 'chopper' was discovered in Nundle, south-east of Tamworth, in the New England district of northern New South Wales. Its weigh is 20 kg. This suggests that there were gigantic hominids at least 4 meter high who could easily use it.

In the past thousand of giant remains were reported (read here), many times even by professional excavators giving detailed description of their discovery but somehow or other the evidences disappeared. Let’s mention few.

A large stone bearing the perfect imprint of a human foot 14 1/2 inches long was shown to members of the Ohio State Academy of science in 1896. The stone slab had been dug from the ground in a hill four miles north of Parkersburg, West Virginia some 20 years earlier. (The American Anthropologist, February 1896, p.66)

Ages ago there were two large, ancient Hun Graves on the Buggenhagen Estate at Züssow. In the year 1594 the people of Greifswald needed stones for a building, and upon their request the Buggenhagens gave them permission to take the stones from the two Hun graves. After the Greifswald stonemasons had cut up the large stones they became curious about what might be buried in the earth beneath them. They therefore began to dig into one of the graves, where they found many human corpses.

They were completely preserved and enormously large. They measured between eleven and sixteen feet in length, and they all lay in a row. Between each one there was a jar filled with earth.

NOTE: North Germans refer to the giants that formerly occupied their land as Hünen, a word that is etymologically related to the Hunnen (Huns), of central Asia.

In the scientific American in 1883 the following article was published:

Two miles from Mandan, on the bluffs near the junction of the Hart and Missouri Rivers, says the local newspaper, the Pioneer, is an old Cemetery of fully 100 acres in extent filled with bones of a giant race. This vast city of the dead lies just east of the Fort Lincoln road. The ground has the appearance of having been filled with trenches piled full of dead bodies, both man and beast, and covered with several feet of earth. In many places mounds from 8 to 10 feet high, and some of them 100 feet or more in length, have been thrown up and are filled with bones, broken pottery, vases of various bright colored flint, and agates ... showing the work of a people skilled in the arts and possessed of a high state of civilization. This has evidently been a grand battlefield, where thousands of men ... have fallen. ...Five miles above Mandan, on the opposite side of the Missouri, is another vast cemetery, as yet unexplored. We asked an aged Indian what his people knew of these ancient grave yards. He answered: "Me know nothing about them. They were here before the red man."

Another interesting account of giant skeleton is from 1885 published in the journal of American Antiquarian, 7:52.

A large Indian mound near the town of Gasterville, Pa., has recently been opened and examined by a committee of scientists sent out from the Smithsonian Institute. At some depth from the surface a kind of vault was found in which was discovered the skeleton of a giant measuring seven feet two inches. His hair was coarse and jet black, and hung to the waist, the brow being ornamented with a copper crown. The skeleton was remarkably well preserved. Near it were also found the bodies of several children of various sizes, the remains being covered with beads made of bone of some kind. Upon removing these, the bodies were seen to be enclosed in a net-work of straw or reeds, and beneath this was a covering of the skin of some animal. On the stones which covered the vault were carved inscriptions, and these when deciphered, will doubtless lift the veil that now shrouds the history of the race of people that one time inhabited this part of the American continent. The relics have been carefully packed and forwarded to the Smithsonian Institute, and they are said to be the most interesting collection ever found in the

United States

. The explorers are now at work on another mound in Barton county, Pa.

Now let’s go little bit to northern

Ethiopia

. In the Kwara region’s Kwaio place there is a large burial area scattered with giant skeletons. They lie over the ground. In a nearby village stands a hut, one of whose main support poles is a human femur bone nearly 8 feet long. (This report is from Jonathan Gray.)

Are there more places with a lot of giant bones? According to some estimation in the region of the Ohio River there are more than 3,000 giant burials.

The Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus gives the following explanations about existence of giants in the area of

Denmark

:

That the country of

Denmark

was once cultivated and worked by giants, is attested by the enormous stones attached to the barrows and caves of the ancients. Should any man question that this is accomplished by superhuman force, let him look up at the tops of certain mountains and say, if he knows, what man has carried such immense boulders up to their crests.

For anyone considering this marvel will mark that it is inconceivable how a mass, hardly at all or but with difficulty movable upon a level, could have been raised to so mighty a peak of so lofty a mountain by mere human effort, or by the ordinary exertion of human strength.

Another mystery who build the Nazca desert plateau in

Peru

whether giants, the nature (?) or humans is another food for thought. (see: http://alla-belokon.narod.ru/)

From this few indirect evidences it seems that the giants were constricting many amazing buildings. Rejecting this view point the existence of huge buildings, temples, the Stonehenge etc., namely how they were built become very mysterious for us. In the recording of the morning walk conversation with Srila Prabhupada we can read the following passage:

Paramahamsa: The Greeks say that they built their buildings... They hired some very big men called Cyclopes, big giants. And they came and built all the buildings.
Prabhupada: Good. Such stories are also there in Mahabharata. The demons and giants were good for construction. Good. And they were very good artist, they knew how to do it. Now we employ the first-class men, so-called first-class engineering, but in the past such building was done by and for the demons and giants.
Paramahamsa: Well, that explains how they built such fantastic temples and palaces.
Prabhupada: Yes. In Africa, there were also many giants, very high, very strong.

Here is one more interesting evidence. Though Hagar Qim is perhaps the most famous and well-preserved of the monuments, the oldest and largest is likely Ggantija on the nearby island of Gozo. Ggantija, lit., "belonging to the giants", was so named by the Maltese because they believed the huge, megalithic stones used to build the monument could only have been lifted by giants. Some of the walls are as much as 18 feet tall, and very thick, and contain niches and shrines which make it clear that Ggantija, like Hagar Qim was also once a temple. Interestingly, the Maltese do have a tradition of giants on the islands, particularly Gozo. One story, "The Giantess of Qala", talks about a giant woman who lived on the island of Gozo who was able to lift and carry around very heavy rocks. The story appears to describe how some of the monuments were built, though the story might simply be a fabrication created by imaginative islanders to explain the giant "fat lady" statues and the huge rocks that are literally all over the island. (source http://www.mysteriousworld.com)

In conclusion, although there are only very few giant bones nowadays still even the skeptic can have a healthy doubt if giants really did not exist. Why would hundreds and thousands of people speak lies, why would all the ancient civilization’s writings including of the past great philosophers like Aristotle tell lies?

Scientists don’t have any evolutionary explanation for human giants of the bygone ages. This might be one of main reasons for archeological cover-ups. They believe, man evolved from a tiny little common ancestor with a tiny little brain and thus, if they would have to accept the existence of giants in the past who had developed civilizations due their large brain and great intelligence, their evolution theory would be seriously shaken.

Ultimately, to accept the existence of giants is no problem for the creationists. All the different ancient cultures and scriptures speak about them. Most surprisingly, most of the world’s scriptures agree that the nowadays human population devolved from giants just as it was proposed by Dr Franc Weidenreich after his careful long study of archeological discoveries. But don’t be afraid – the human race will not turn into monkeys.