Between The Microcosmic and The Macrocosmic: We Are All Giants Now

YOU WOULD HAVE seen them. Mobile drone shots of cities, done with the camera pointed straight down to capture the topographical grid of streets and buildings. Whether done in daylight or at night, the effect is a reminder to us of how like those of bees or termites human habitations are.

Indeed, the more we urbanise, the more we have to cram ourselves, and the more we have to stack our living spaces on top of each other. We have to go vertically upwards. High-rise buildings are simply manmade caves balanced on top of each other. We then have stairs and elevators to move us vertically.

And we have pipes to supply water or dispose of used water; we have wirings to bring WiFi coverage and electricity to each apartment (I believe compartment is a better word). We once had telephone wires lining all our roads and penetrating buildings so that we could call each other on our landlines. We’ve got mobile phones now, but in many cities, those overhead wires remain.

Out on the streets, we have all sorts of traffic signals put up to control the movement of vehicles, and to keep pedestrians safe whenever they cross roads.

And then you have the street lamps; and neon lights and so forth. If you have x-ray vision, you will be able to perceive the labyrinths underground too. We go vertically downwards as well. Tunnels join underground stations, allowing for easy movement underneath streets and pavements; more wires and pipings making these dark places inhabitable and accessible.