There were matters of science at issue, and there were matters of life, common decency, mercy. "As the wretched beetle was still feebly alive," he told Crick, "I have put it in a bottle with chopped laurel leaves, that it may die an easy and quicker death." Any naturalist of his day knew that laurel leaves, when chopped, release prussic acid, containing hydrogen cyanide. Darwin didn't want his last beetle to suffer. He was a gentle man, quite aware that he'd already caused discomfort enough.
--David Quammen, The Reluctant Mr. Darwin
A bang, not a whimper
Two months into L.'s retirement, and I'm finished with the stockpiling of books. No more book purchases! Or at least, no purcha...
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(See also Musee des Beaux Arts ) As far as mental anguish goes, the old painters were no fools. They understood how the mind, the freakiest ...
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Lou wondered where his information would go when he died. Would filaments of learning plant patterns on earth? Would his brain train the sin...
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