The medusa and the snail. The Medusa and the Snail: More Notes of a Biology Watcher by Lewis Thomas 2022-11-07

The medusa and the snail Rating: 4,2/10 1962 reviews

The Medusa and the Snail are two very different creatures, but they have one significant thing in common: they are both symbols of transformation and rebirth. The Medusa, a figure from Greek mythology, was a beautiful woman who was transformed into a monster with snakes for hair and the ability to turn people to stone with her gaze. The snail, on the other hand, is a small and seemingly unremarkable animal that has the ability to regenerate its own body parts, including its shell, which it sheds and replaces as it grows.

The story of the Medusa is a cautionary tale about the dangers of hubris and the consequences of crossing the gods. According to the myth, Medusa was once a priestess of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war. However, she was punished for allowing herself to be seduced by Poseidon, the god of the sea, in Athena's temple. In her anger, Athena transformed Medusa into a monster, cursed with hair made of writhing snakes and the ability to turn anyone who looked at her face to stone. Medusa was eventually slain by the hero Perseus, who used her reflection in a shield to avoid being turned to stone himself and beheaded her while she slept.

Despite her fearsome appearance and deadly gaze, the Medusa can also be seen as a symbol of transformation and rebirth. In her original form, she was a beautiful and virtuous woman, but her transformation into a monster represents a radical change in her circumstances and identity. Similarly, the people and animals she turned to stone were also transformed into something new and different, frozen in time and unable to move or change.

The snail, on the other hand, is a symbol of slow and steady growth and transformation. Snails are known for their ability to regenerate their own body parts, including their shells, which they shed and replace as they grow. This process of shedding and regrowth can be seen as a metaphor for the way we change and grow as people, shedding our old selves and taking on new identities as we learn and experience new things.

Overall, the Medusa and the snail are both symbols of transformation and rebirth, each in their own way. The Medusa represents the power of transformation, both in terms of the radical changes that can happen to us and the transformative power we can wield over others. The snail, on the other hand, represents the slow and steady process of growth and change that takes place over time, as we shed our old selves and take on new identities. Both can be seen as cautionary tales about the dangers and consequences of change, but also as inspiring examples of the resilience and adaptability of the human spirit.

THE MEDUSA AND THE SNAIL

the medusa and the snail

It was just a good time. But once I got it, it was kinda hilarious. Thomas' unexpected turns of phrase and love of words and their origins is revealed again and again in essays ranging in subject from our present zeal for dying gracefully to how-not-to-choose students for medical schools. He also believes that medicine has now returned to magic and changes in health fads, and running has now acquired the medicinal value formerly attributed to rare herbs from Indonesia. Some great ideas were expressed. I have fairly jumbled thoughts about this book - perhaps because the writing style is so disorderly itself.

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The Medusa and the Snail: More Notes of a Biology Watcher by Lewis Thomas, Paperback

the medusa and the snail

The Medusa and the Snail is a wandering exploration of our nature that is fully at home with the questions that drive discovery, science, and our struggle to come to terms with ourselves. Underpinning them is a general sense that the complexity of modern knowledge prevents us from a sense of awe and wonder at life. On tracking the jellyfish's lifestyle, they found that it is in fact capable of producing offspring which are full-sized, healthy jellyfish. Viewed individually, one by one, each of the mutations that have brought us along represents a random, totally spontaneous accident, but it is no accident at all that mutations occur; the molecule of DNA was ordained from the beginning to make small mistakes. Cite this page as follows: "The Medusa and the Snail" Literary Masterpieces, Volume 16 Ed.

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The medusa and the snail : more notes of a biology watcher : Thomas, Lewis, 1913

the medusa and the snail

There were several other essays of note. Lewis's pieces are about: he takes a common subject then looks at it from a special angle. . The origin of hubris in hybrid—via us, meaning out, and gwer, meaning violence and strength—is the fulcrum on which turns a telling piece which should dispose of all who'd set limits on scientific research. It was great though.

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The Medusa and the Snail by Lewis Thomas Argumentative

the medusa and the snail

If asked what book I'd choose if I were in isolation The Medusa and the Snail would be a fierce contender for MVP. I think I also read this collection of essays, but when I came across it recently, I felt like it was worth a second look. So this second time around, I paid even more attention. Read it and I doubt you'll come away with any less than one or two hundred AHA! Full review to follow. The writing style is clever and witty, and the insights are good even after three decades. There must have been many long, sleepless nights, his mind all thumbs.

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The Medusa and the Snail

the medusa and the snail

Now I am eager to read it. They aren't bad but the author has neither the depth nor the style of The best of the essays was the first one, the medusa and the snail. Both he and my husband remembered this as their favorite book by this author, and now I know why. The term "idiopathic" means that we don't know the cause of a disease. However, on the whole, they come across as fun and illuminating and quirky and in many cases, have a timeless quality.

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The Medusa and the Snail by Lewis Thomas: 9780140243192

the medusa and the snail

Unfortunately, what starts out as a quirky philosophical romp with the author rapidly sours. You cannot help but hope. Soon, undigested and hungry, they eat their way through the entire jellyfish from inside out, until all that is left is a small bit of parasite, attached to the inside of its mouth. Most microrganisms in the body the "biome", in today's lingo are beneficial or harmless, and many diseases are the body fighting itself. The best one being on Oracle. That particular essay was so witty.

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Wikizero

the medusa and the snail

The second is the date of publication online or last modification online. They're just evolution gone a bit wrong. Then sulfa drugs and penicillin changed the game and pharmaceutics took over, even though they never came up with anything even half as good as penicillin. Full review to follow. Well I was soon to be enlightened.

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Lewis Thomas THE MEDUSA AND THE SNAIL : More Notes of a Biology Watcher 1st Ed

the medusa and the snail

Ah, a book from a time when science writers composed beautiful essays that respected the intelligence of the reader. That book had a central theme - the cell as a model for society — and some fascinating ideas flowed from the model. The book opens with some really interesting and unique perspectives on the state of science and society in general. The parasites at certain seasons of the year produce offspring, i. Indeed, I regard this as the major discovery of the past hundred years of biology. Thomas is no pessimist about the human condition. The book is from 1974 but still feels pretty current - I'm actually surprised we've known some of this stuff since the 70s.

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