Lewis Thomas

DNA blunder marvel attribute bacteria music

“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)

accomplish ignorance discovery

“The greatest of all the accomplishments of 20th century science has been the discovery of human ignorance”

― Lewis Thomas (1913-1993)

statistics probability surprise exist

“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)

unique animal worry

“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)

human language prevent matter

“The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand.”

― Lewis Thomas (1913-1993)

future interesting dangerous entrust predictable reliable agency

“The future is too interesting and dangerous to be entrusted to any predictable, reliable agency.”

― Lewis Thomas (1913-1993)

animal gene altruism evolution survival species

“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)

simple living cell long memory

“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)

scientific truth confident igorant nature

"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)