Tragedies remind us of our vulnerability. Possibly we are also mystified by the fact that we still cannot understand the meaning of it all. In the face of tragedy, whenever we approach some new insight, understanding seems to float away from us like a feather in the wind.
Just as each generation meanders through time, expecting to find meaning and relevance, great catastrophes challenge us to seek more understanding. In all aspects of our lives there are limits; we hope that with each successive tragedy, there will be fewer limitations. As a scientist, I don't want to postpone understanding, but some things are indeed beyond my ken. Humans cannot stop their pursuit of understanding and knowledge.
I overheard someone mention 'why isn't China helping out, with all of their might to take over the world?' In these politically cynical times, we seem to lack heroes. There are endless nights spent discussing the origins of tyrants who lead their people into war and on genocidal crusades, and we ask how to banish violence from our schools, our cities, our families. Considering all of this, a lesson from the '60s should be remembered. In its search for meaning, that generation forgot that love and compassion begin not as a political movement but as actions taken by individuals.
