Recently I finished reading A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson and its really a great and fascinating book about the history of science and about the world in which we live. It touches on the beginnings of life, the beginnings of the universe, and all sorts of things. The book concludes with the following passage:
"If this book has a lesson, it is that we are awfully lucky to be here - and by "we" I mean every living thing. To attain any kind of life in this universe of ours appears to be quite an achievement. As humans we are doubly lucky, of course: We enjoy not only the privilege of existence but also the singular ability to appreciate it and even, in a multitude of ways, to make it better. It is talent we have only barely begun to grasp.
We have arrived at this position of eminence in a stunningly short time. Behaviorally modern human beings - that is, people who can speak and make art and organize complex activities - have existed for only about 0.0001 percent of Earth's history. But surviving for even that little while has required a nearly endless string of good fortune.
We really are at the beginning of it all. The trick, of course, is to make sure we never find the end. And that, almost certainly, will require a good deal more than lucky breaks. "
I really do like the way Bill Bryson looks at the world.
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