The ichneumon fly was aptly named, because it sounds 'icky'. The thought of being paralyzed and eaten away from the inside is quite disturbing. It is often said that nature is a 'cruel mistress', and Gould provides some interesting perspective. According to him, nature is just that, nature. There are no hidden meanings behind the actions or inactions of plants and animals. To some degree, I concur. Perhaps it is humans that provide meaning where there is none, or perhaps we cannot fathom a true meaning and substitute one that suits our own needs. In any case, I particularly liked the way the piece ended with a particularly profound quote.
posted by Rich @ 5:31 PM
1 Comments:
You're right--humans do provide meaning where there is none--we develop language to describe and explain things, but in nature there are no words, and this is something that you can relate back to bacon's idols.
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