Probability does pervade the universe, and in this sense, the old chestnut
about baseball imitating life really has validity. The statistics of
streaks and slumps, properly understood, do teach an important lesson about
epistemology, and life in general. The history of a species, or any natural
phenomenon, that requires unbroken continuity in a world of trouble, works
like a batting streak. All are games of a gambler playing with a limited
stake against a house with infinite resources. The gambler must eventually
go bust. His aim can only be to stick around as long as possible,
to have some fun while he's at it, and, if he happens to be a moral agent
as well, to worry about staying the course with honor!
- Stephen Jay Gould
- Stephen Jay Gould
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