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Comment by iMark | Hacker News Reader

Years ago, I visited the zoo in Central Park in NYC and watched a polar bear, as it swam around and around in a pool. It swam in a triangle, touching the three same points on the wall of the enclosure as it made each circuit.

Last month I walked around Greenwich Park in London 125 times, each time following exactly the same route. I thought about that polar bear a lot as I walked.

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Not to take too dark a turn here, but human zoos were not uncommon at the turn of the century.

The Bronx Zoo had people, in cages, on display in 1906. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_zoo

Ohh dear..that page is really shocking. What a sorry, shameful history.

When I see things like this I always wonder if any of my ancestors were involved. Did any of my ancestors go to see these zoos? What would they think of me if they knew of my disapproval? Would they think there is something wrong with me?

That is really low. I had no clue human race could ever stoop down below enslaving another human.

Our dark history gives me hope. I don't mean to say I enjoy seeing darkness in our history. Instead I see it as a clear point on a compass pointing away from where I want society to head. Even if I don't agree with how everyone else wants to tack forward as long as we're heading West, I don't care if it's NW or SW.

The Infantorium was also a thing. People paid a quarter to gaze upon the wonder of premature babies displayed in incubators¹.

While an infantorium still feels awful as a general concept, it did provide genuine medical care to very vulnerable babies. Eventually saving the lives of thousands of premature babies. The linked wikipedia article probably allows you to consider the morality more than my first paragraph ;)

1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_A._Couney

> Couney’s reputation suffered after the 1911 Coney Island Fire. Despite all of the infants being rescued, the incident highlighted the dangers of caring for infants in amusement parks.

That polar bear was depressed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gus_(polar_bear)

He was the first zoo animal to be given anti-depressants.

There's even a song about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maQTLIWUZtw

I give my cat anti-depressants when he won't eat. It's pretty common from what the vet told me.

Thanks for this.

To me, this reads very much as something written by Kurt Vonnegut. Not exactly reassuring and not exactly depressing.

Can really related to this. I've been walking the same set of paths at the same places too. I've also started to recognize the "regulars" there too. A lot of us seem to be doing the same circuit at the same time.

Reminds me of this poem by Rainer Maria Rilke:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Panther_%28poem%29

The polar bear swims in circles because he doesn't know he's trapped. We walk in circles and social distance to protect our family and our communities.

> The polar bear swims in circles because he doesn't know he's trapped.

I find that hard to believe. The polar bear absolutely knows he's trapped, though he probably doesn't know why.

Just saw this downthread, he even developed depression later in life, seems pretty sentient: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23614699

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