Lives on Earth

struggle

  • Forgiveness and the Second Law of Thermodynamics

    The Second Law of Thermodynamics has seemed depressing to me. It states that anything left to itself, without new energy to sustain its structure, will become increasingly disordered. Molecules of different gasses in a container will move around until they… Continue reading

  • Walking Up the Ramp

    Life is a ramp. We—all things alive—are walking along ramps that slope upwards at various angles, angles that change during our lifetimes. The climb may be easy or arduous. The ramp begins at birth and ends at death. The angle… Continue reading

  • Darwin’s Dark Vision: “Ten Thousand Sharp Wedges”

    Darwin has gotten to me. The third chapter of On the Origin of Species has changed how I look at nature. The name of the chapter sounds quaint at first: The Struggle for Existence. But it is an apt name… Continue reading

  • The Music Man

    Recently I stopped by a music store in town to buy banjo strings. I hadn’t been in the store for at least ten years. I remembered it as a hive of kids and grown-ups trying out guitars, pianos, and clarinets,… Continue reading

  • Suffering

    This blog looks at ways in which the history of living things may be relevant to people’s largest questions about life. One of these questions is how to cope with suffering. Modern secularism and traditional religions differ widely in what… Continue reading

  • Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything

    Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything is an ideal read for those who are curious about science but shy away from the  details. Bryson’s signature style—humorous and friendly—is easy on the comprehension and even evocative in its imagery.… Continue reading

  • Five Reasons Why I’m Afraid of Dying—and Some Reassurances

    I’m not in any immediate danger of dying—beyond the usual unpredictables—in that I’m only 69 and quite (though not perfectly) healthy. But the future looms, and I try to feel clearly the fears that go through me when I think… Continue reading