Everything in nature is the result of fixed laws.
Charles DarwinRead
The plow is one of the most ancient and most valuable of man's inventions; but long before he existed the land was in fact regularly plowed, and still continues to be thus plowed by earthworms. It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly organized creatures.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Earthworms have been essential to soil health and cultivation long before humans invented plows.
In this quote, Charles Darwin highlights the vital role that earthworms play in the ecosystem, particularly in the cultivation of the land. He points out that while the plow is a significant human invention for agriculture, earthworms have naturally performed the function of plowing the earth, enriching the soil and contributing to its fertility for eons, underscoring the importance of seemingly simple and 'lowly' organisms in the grand scheme of the worldβs history.
Themes
EarthwormsInventionAgricultureEcosystemNature
In practice
Example use cases
During a presentation about sustainable farming practices.
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I am quite conscious that my speculations run beyond the bounds of true science....It is a mere rag of an hypothesis with as many flaw[s] & holes as sound parts.
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We cannot fathom the marvelous complexity of an organic being; but on the hypothesis here advanced this complexity is much increased. Each living creature must be looked at as a microcosm--a little universe, formed of a host of self-propagating organisms, inconceivably minute and as numerous as the stars in heaven.
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I have called this principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term of Natural Selection.
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we are always slow in admitting any great change of which we do not see the intermediate steps
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