Mr. Wilson's cabinet of wonder

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“That’s exactly what it’s like when you’re out there in the field and you’re first encountering some of those marvelously strange natural adaptations. At first all you’ve got is a few disconnected pieces of raw observations, the sheerest glimpses, but you let your mind go, fantasizing the possible connections, projecting the most fanciful life cycles. In a way it’s my favorite part of being a scientist—later on, sure, you have to batten things down, contrive more rigorous hypotheses and experiments through which to check out, everything all clean and careful. But that first take—those first fantasies. Those are the best.”