Chapter 7

First off, the idea of making a creature transparent with glycerin and dying different parts with certain colors is quite fascinating, watching one of the most complicated developments on the Earth taking place at the microscopic level, while also bringing up a slight idea pointing to the cruelty of such acts, manipulating these animals in sadistic ways, but, as long as its in the name of science, all is well. Just like Shubin, we can all share the feeling of being awestruck at such an idea, let alone actually seeing this unfold.

The metaphor of how an animal cells build itself brings into perspective the magnitude of insanity that happens during this process, bricks helping to build the house with no architect.

The explanation of the way cancer forms from the body itself is quite insightful; we hear about the disease cancer over and over, but not many of us know what this disease exactly is. Zit's basically a glitch in our body, a error in the programming code.

The year comparison to the lifetime of Earth, is hard to fathom considering humans exist for such a fraction of the Earth's lifetime, yet we walk with an ego and mastery as if we were eternally existing creatures.

The analysis of why bodies came together is also puzzling. Why did single cell organisms make the jump? Its interesting to note how when predators find new ways, prey also evolves, an idea that passes most of us. Necessity is the means of invention. This would link to Darwin's idea of survival of the fittest, which would make sense as to why organisms went from single celled to bodies.

-- Abdel Albakri