Earth's Systems: Balance and Disruption

We're doing a deep dive today into, well, Earth's operating manual.

And we're gonna start with a question that seems pretty simple but really unlocks everything.

Ooh, I like this. What is the fundamental difference between a barnacle stuck

on a whale and, say, a tick on your dog? That's a perfect entry point.

It really is. Yeah. Because that difference gets to the core rules of coexistence.

How so? Well, the barnacle gets a free ride, right?

Hmm. Gets transport and a constant flow of food-rich water. And the whale.

The whale is completely unaffected. It doesn't even know it's there. That's a textbook