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The field of biology holds that survival is the most fundamental quest of our existence. Not just survival of our physical bodies, but of our genetic makeup as well. Our ancestors survived not only by cheating death from day to day but also by passing on their genetic legacy from generation to generation. It is no wonder, then, that survival is a central theme of our formulation of metafora, from literature to the graphic arts. Everything that we leave behind is a testament to survival. Our personal survival came to depend on economic survival, the ability of our society to produce those goods and services that met our basic needs. Societies form culture through the production of creative work, and the survival and evolution of societies depends on passing on this creativity from generation to generation.

Over the last few thousand years, advances in technology have provided for many of our basic needs. Survival once depended on the ability to adapt to a world that was physically demanding: Our ancestors had to forage for food and provide shelter from inclement weather. They banded together, united for protection, and were aggressive in their quest for territory. Today, the technologies we have developed have largely taken care of the needs for food and shelter; it is failures in the political and economic systems that for the most part produce poverty and starvation. Political and economic factors determine the successful application of the technology: Creativity is the key to survival.

Our creative endeavor becomes a lasting testament in the quest for immortality. Survival is measured not only by the deeds of a lifetime, but also in the legacy of our works. Artifacts of our creativity acknowledge that we are in fact not immortal, that we are leaving something that we hope will outlast us. When combined with the works of others, our metafora help to shape and to define the culture. As we move into the realm of the circuit, in which there is greater access to tools of creativity, and in which the network and World Brain allow us greater access to the works of others, our culture will evolve. By extending our ability to preserve and share, the realm of the circuit brings new meanings to our survival.