Ontogeny recapitulates philogeny. This phrase, the idea that the development of the individual repeats in miniature the development of the race, has stuck in my mind since high school biology. This was the subject of the chapter of Origin of Species I listened to today. I don't know why the phrase stuck. I didn't understand what it meant, then. Today I have a better understanding. It means that evolution, like software development, is primarily additive. You can reduce and cut down parts that are no longer useful, but it is very hard to wipe the slate clean.
- J
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My other favorite phrase from science that sticks in my head and which I see everywhere is "punctuated equilibrium." It means that everything looks stable for a long period, while under the covers things are slowly changing, and then *bam* there is a big shift. Happens in evolution, in climate, in erosion, and yes, at work :)
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