[As we trace the development of man over the ages, it seems
in many respects a tale of glory and victory; of the develop-
ment of the brain; of the discovery of fire; of the building
of cities and of civilizations; of the triumph of reason; of
the fimng of the Earth and of the reaching out to sea and
space.
But increasing knowledge leads not to conquest only, but
to utter defeat as well, for one learns not only of new po-
tentialities, but also of new limitations. An explorer may
discover a new continent, but he may also stumble over
the world's end.
And it is so with mankind. We are distinguished from
all other living species by our power over the inanimate
universe; and we are distinguished from them also by our
abject defeat by the inanimate universe, for we alone have
learned of defeat.