the.lost.world-第78部分

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；　and　not　always　because　of　an　asteroid。　Everyone's　interested　in　the　Cretaceous　die…out　that　killed　the　dinosaurs；　but　there　were　die…outs　at　the　end　of　the　Jurassic　and　the　Triassic　as　well。　They　were　severe；　but　they　were　nothing　pared　to　the　Permian　extinction；　which　killed　eighty　percent　of　all　life　on　the　planet；　on　the　seas　and　on　the　land。　No　one　knows　why　that　catastrophe　happened。　But　I　wonder　if　we　are　the　cause　of　the　next　one。〃
　　　　〃How　is　that？〃　Kelly　said。
　　　　〃Human　beings　are　so　destructive；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃I　sometimes　think　we're　a　kind　of　plague；　that　will　scrub　the　earth　clean。　We　destroy　things　so　well　that　I　sometimes　think；　maybe　that's　our　function。　Maybe　every　few　eons；　some　animal　es　along　that　kills　off　the　rest　of　the　world；　clears　the　decks；　and　lets　evolution　proceed　to　its　next　phase。〃
　　　　Kelly　shook　her　head。　She　turned　away　from　Malcolm　and　moved　lip　the　boat；　to　sit　alongside　Thorne。
　　　　〃Are　you　listening　to　all　that？〃　Thorne　said。　〃I　wouldn't　take　any　of　it　too　seriously。　It's　jist　theories。　Human　beings　can't　help　making　them；　but　the　fact　is　that　theories　are　just　fantasies。　And　they　change。　When　America　was　a　new　country；　people　believed　in　something　called　phlogiston。　You　know　what　that　is？　No？　Well；　it　doesn't　matter；　because　it　wasn't　real　anyway。　They　also　believed　that　four　humors　controlled　behavior。　And　they　believed　that　the　earth　was　only　a　few　thousand　years　old。　Now　we　believe　the　earth　is　four　billion　years　old；　and　we　believe　in　photons　and　electrons；　and　we　think　human　behavior　is　controlled　by　things　like　ego　and　self…esteem。　We　think　those　beliefs　are　more　scientific　and　better。〃
　　　　〃Aren't　they？
　　　　Thorne　shrugged。　〃They're　still　just　fantasies。　They're　not　real。　Have　you　ever　seen　a　self…esteem？　Can　you　bring　me　one　on　a　plate？　How　about　a　photon？　Can　you　bring　me　one　of　those？〃
　　　　Kelly　shook　her　head。　〃No；　but。。。〃
　　　　〃And　you　never　will；　because　those　things　don't　exist。　No　matter　how　seriously　people　take　them；〃　Thorne　said。　〃A　hundred　years　from　now；　people　will　look　back　at　us　and　laugh。　They'll　say；　'You　know　what　people　used　to　believe？　They　believed　in　photons　and　electrons。　Can　you　imagine　anything　so　silly？'　They'll　have　a　good　laugh；　because　by　then　there　will　be　newer　and　better　fantasies。〃　Thorne　shook　his　head。　〃And　meanwhile；　you　feel　the　way　the　boat　moves？　That's　the　sea。　That's　real。　You　smell　the　salt　in　the　air？　You　feel　the　sunlight　on　your　skin？　That's　all　real。　You　see　all　of　us　together？　That's　real。　Life　is　wonderful。　It's　a　gift　to　be　alive；　to　see　the　sun　and　breathe　the　air。　And　there　isn't　really　anything　else。　Now　look　at　that　pass；　and　tell　me　where　south　is。　I　want　to　go　to　Puerto　Cortés。　It's　time　for　us　all　to　go　home。〃

Acknowledgments
　　　　
This　novel　is　entirely　fiction；　but　in　writing　it；　I　have　drawn　on　the　work　of　researchers　in　many　different　fields。　I　am　especially　indebted　to　the　Work；　and　the　speculations；　of　John　Alexander；　Mark　Boguski；　Edwin　Colbert；　John　Conway；　Philip　Currie；　Peter　Dodson；　Niles　Eldredge；　Stephen　Jay　Gould；　Donald　Griffin；　John　Holland；　John　Horner；　Fred　Hoyle；　Stuart　Kauffman；　Christopher　Langton；　Ernst　Mayr；　Mary　Midgley；　John　Ostrom；　Norman　Packard；　David　Raup；　Jeffrey　Schank；　Manfred　Schroeder；　George　Gaylord　Simpson；　Bruce　Weber；　John　Wheeler；　and　David　Weishampel。
　　　　It　remains　only　to　say　that　the　views　expressed　in　this　novel　are　mine；　not　theirs；　and　to　remind　the　reader　that　a　century　and　a　half　after　Darwin；　nearly　all　positions　on　evolution　remain　strongly　contended；　and　fiercely　debated。

　
　
　
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