“The capacity to blunder slightly is the real marvel of DNA. Without this special attribute, we would still be anaerobic bacteria and there would be no music.”
― Lewis Thomas (1913-1993)
“The greatest of all the accomplishments of 20th century science has been the discovery of human ignorance”
― Lewis Thomas (1913-1993)
“Statistically, the probability of any one of us being here is so small that you'd think the mere fact of existing would keep us all in a contented dazzlement of surprise. ”
― Lewis Thomas (1913-1993)
“We are, perhaps uniquely among the earth’s creatures, the worrying animal. We worry away our lives, fearing the future, discontent with the present, unable to take the idea of dying, unable to sit still.”
― Lewis Thomas (1913-1993)
“The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand.”
― Lewis Thomas (1913-1993)
“The future is too interesting and dangerous to be entrusted to any predictable, reliable agency.”
― Lewis Thomas (1913-1993)
“Animals have genes for altruism, and those genes have been selected in the evolution of many creatures because of the advantage they confer for the continuing survival of the species.”
― Lewis Thomas (1913-1993)
“It is not a simple life to be a single cell, although I have no right to say so, having been a single cell so long ago myself that I have no memory at all of that stage in my life.”
― Lewis Thomas (1913-1993)
"The only solid piece of scientific truth about which I feel totally confident is that we are profoundly ignorant about nature. "
― Lewis Thomas (1913-1993)