Seeing P.91 #1 

1. "A Matter of Scale" was an enchanting essay that was both entertaining and enlightening. Cole provokes so much thought about the effect of scale and perception which humans take for granted. The concept itself is quite captivating, but what especially caught my attention was the idea of how a beings size and lifespan can change the relevance of time. Cole notes the ideas of biologist Stephen Jay Gould that "small mammals tick fast, burn rapidly, and live for a short time; large mammals live long at a steady pace. Measured by their own internal clocks, mammals of different sizes tend to live for the same amount of time." When I began to grasp this fascinating idea an inner dialogue about religion manifested itself in my thoughts. Like any other person, I have had my own internal discussions about the existence of a god. I could never quite understand if there is a god that he could love every single person and be so involved in their lives when, because of his immortal existence, our lives are simply a quick flash in comparison to his. But then to be presented with the idea that I am in fact real, and that there are real living things that, in comparison to my life span, are a flash as well is a bit daunting. And even more intriguing is the relation that I as a human being have to these bacteria life forms. Cole paraphrases microbiologists Lynn Margulis and Dorian Sagans findings that "10 percent of our body weight consists of bacteria - most of which we couldn't live without." Thus not only are these once seemingly insignificant creatures real, but they are also vital to my own existence. Therefore it makes the idea of there actually being a compassionate and attentive god a bit more feasible to grasp.
Coles essay was non stop fascinating; every single part will most likely stick with me. However, the fact that it conjured up a fresh idea in my ongoing debate about what I believe in was even more remarkable to me. It's safe to say I very much enjoyed reading this.

2. The way Cole uses the ending quote has a very different purpose than the way she quotes and references other authors. Throughout the essay these external sources mostly serve as either evidence to support what she is saying in her essay, or they present a new and relevant idea that she comments and discusses there after. However quoting Schrödinger seemed to be less of a piece of evidence and more of a traditional conclusion method. It summarizes some of the ideas presented in the essay without being repetitive yet still leaves the audience with another idea to think about when the essay is complete. By doing this it accomplishes a great purpose of all essays, which is of course to keep the reader informed and thinking about a particular idea or string of ideas. I think it fit quite nicely at the end, especially due to the somewhat fanciful nature of the comparison between a "triangular circle" and a "winged lion."