"And, in this case, science could learn an important lesson from the literati — who love contingency for the same basic reason that scientists tend to regard the theme with suspicion. Because, in contingency lies the power of each person, to make a difference in an unconstrained world bristling with possibilities, and nudgeable by the smallest of unpredictable inputs into markedly different channels spelling either vast improvement or potential disaster."
Stephen Jay Gould

January 1, 1970

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Original Language: English

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https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Stephen_Jay_Gould