As life forms, viruses are just inherently interesting. It's the microworld - this universe of life too small for us to see - but it's profoundly complicated, and immensely powerful. Ebola is like a beautiful and frightening predator. There is a wonder in the operations of nature that can't be denied, even when we're the losers.
Interpretation
The complexity of viruses reveals the wonders and challenges of nature that are often beyond our perception.
This quote by Richard Preston reflects on the fascinating and complex nature of viruses, highlighting their dual role as both beautiful entities and dangerous predators. It emphasizes the intricate balance of life in the microworld, where even the tiniest organisms can have a profound impact on our lives, eliciting both wonder and fear in humanity as we grapple with their potential consequences.
In practice
A scientist discussing the significance of viruses in a public health seminar.
Scientific facts are often described in textbooks as if they just sort of exist, like nickels someone picked up on the street. But science at the cutting edge, conducted by sharp minds probing deep into nature, is not about self-evident facts. It is about mystery and not knowing. It is about taking huge risks.
I am on the edge of mysteries and the veil is getting thinner and thinner.
It is certainly true in the United States that there is an uneasiness about certain aspects of science, particularly evolution, because it conflicts, in some people's minds, with their sense of how we all came to be. But you know, if you are a believer in God, it's hard to imagine that God would somehow put this incontrovertible evidence in front of us about our relationship to other living organisms and expect us to disbelieve it. I mean, that doesn't make sense at all.
We do not draw conclusions with our eyes, but with our reasoning powers, and if the whole of the rest of living nature proclaims with one accord from all sides the evolution of the world of organisms, we cannot assume that the process stopped short of Man. But it follows also that the factors which brought about the development of Man from his Simian ancestry must be the same as those which have brought about the whole of evolution.
One can't predict the weather more than a few days in advance.
The terrible part of this looming catastrophe is that people have been working on solutions for years and have developed concrete steps to massively reduce our energy use, while stimulating whole new industries and technologies that are more efficient and affordable.
It is essential to understand our brains in some detail if we are to assess correctly our place in this vast and complicated universe we see all around us.
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