Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.
E. O. WilsonRead
Consider the nematode roundworm, the most abundant of all animals. Four out of five animals on Earth are nematode worms — if all solid materials except nematode worms were to be eliminated, you could still see the ghostly outline of most of it in nematode worms.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Nematode roundworms are incredibly abundant and represent a significant part of Earth's biodiversity.
E. O. Wilson's quote highlights the astonishing abundance of nematode roundworms, conveying that these creatures are so numerous that they constitute four out of five animals on the planet. This statement serves to emphasize the diversity of life on Earth and the often-overlooked roles that such small organisms play in our ecosystems.
Themes
NematodeBiodiversityAbundanceEarthNatureOrganisms
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about biodiversity, one could say, 'Consider the nematode roundworm, the most abundant of all animals, representing the unseen life that sustains ecosystems.'
More from E. O. Wilson
All quotes →The worst thing that will probably happen-in fact is already well underway-is not energy depletion, economic collapse, conventional war, or the expansion of totalitarian governments. As terrible as these catastrophes would be for us, they can be repaired in a few generations. The one process now going on that will take millions of years to correct is loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us.
E. O. WilsonRead
Humanity today is like a waking dreamer, caught between the fantasies of sleep and the chaos of the real world. The mind seeks but cannot find the precise place and hour. We have created a Star Wars civilization, with Stone Age emotions, medieval institutions, and godlike technology. We thrash about. We are terribly confused by the mere fact of our existence, and a danger to ourselves and to the rest of life.
E. O. WilsonRead
Destroying rainforest for economic gain is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal.
E. O. WilsonRead
An Armageddon is approaching at the beginning of the third millennium. But it is not the cosmic war and fiery collapse of mankind foretold in sacred scripture. It is the wreckage of the planet by an exuberantly plentiful and ingenious humanity.
E. O. WilsonRead
It's obvious that the key problem facing humanity in the coming century is how to bring a better quality of life - for 8 billion or more people - without wrecking the environment entirely in the attempt.
E. O. WilsonRead
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