The two most revolutionary ideas about life on earth spawned the last century are that life is one and that it is endowed with intelligence encompassing the entire planet. The first comes from James Lovelock and the second from Howard Bloom. Interestingly, these two men have no connection with the academic system or any other system promoting scientific thought. Come to think of it, the idea spawned two centuries ago that life evolves also comes from outside of any such system. Charles Darwin was his own man, too. Now, what does this tell you about the academic system or any other system promoting scientific thought, which have resisted the above ideas tooth and nail? To put it starkly, they are inimical to both life and intelligence on earth. Well, they are also inimical to ideas one and all. And they should be avoided like the plague.