How the Dodos Went Extinct, Fear of the Unknown, and Information Addiction
The relationship between the now-extinct dodo bird, idle curiosity, childlike wonder, my own browsing history, “society at large,” and more.
Once upon a time, a species of large, flightless bird — bigger than a turkey with small, feeble wings and a bulbous beak — lived on an island called Mauritius.
Although this bird — the dodo — couldn’t fly, their bones were light and hollow like those of birds who could, suggesting that they’d evolved out of a previous need to fly.
The dodos built their nests on the ground and ate fruit that fell from the trees. They had no natural predators on Mauritius. They’re thought to have been curious, friendly, and agile, so perfectly adapted to their isolated environment that they could live comfortably and fearlessly.
In other words, these birds were literally just vibing.
The exact etymology of “dodo” is unclear; some say it comes from the Dutch dodoor, for “sluggard,” or dodaars, “fat arse”; others say it derives from the Portuguese doudo, meaning “fool” or “crazy.” Its Latin name, Didus ineptu, means “inept dodo.”
