Do badgers play board games?

We had a friend around for supper yesterday evening and ended up playing a board game- our favourite "Settlers of Catan".*
I think I must have a really weird brain because I was suddenly struck by the amazingness of mankind being able to make rules to govern a fictional situation, have abstract goals and to choose to sit together playing a game, which has no real outcomes, except the opportunity to chat with friends. Being me, of course, I had to voice my thoughts which led to a hilarious conversation about whether badgers play board games or rabbits sit in their burrows with a pack of cards!

It is mindblowing how complex our bodies and minds are. Sometimes when I'm cooking, I wonder how long it would take to program a robot to do all the little tasks required to make a simple meal and whether it would be edible at the end!
Or when I travel in cities and see all the people going about their business, each with their own life, goals and relationships. My mind wonders at the level of order, with all those people following the written and unwritten rules of society and the patterns they have learnt. "Go to the ticket machine, put in metal dics to obtain a bit of card. Slide that piece of card into a machine at the entrance to the station. Follow signs to platform 7." The more you think about thinking, the more you realise how stupendous it all is.
As I said, I have a pretty weird brain!
One thing I just can't get my head around though, is how all this order could have happened as a result of a chance collision between atoms.



* Settlers of Catan is a great board game, not too complex, doesn't involve knocking players out and can be done and dusted in a couple of hours. Highly recommended. www.catan.com