The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2002

333 Pages·2002·2.72 MB·English

by  Natalie Angier

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ALL RIGHTSR ESERVED
Nop arotft hiwso rmka yb er eproduocrte rda nsmiitnat neyfd o romr b ya nmye ans,
electroornm iecc haniicnacll,u dpihnogt ocopaynidrn egc ordoirnb gya, n yi nfor­
matiostno raogrre e triseyvsatlwe imt hotuhtpe r iworrti t epne rmisosfit ohnce o py­
righotw neurn lessusc cho pyiinseg x prespselrym itbtyef de dercaolp yrilgahwt.
Witthh ee xceptoifno onn protfirta nscriipnBt riaoinHl olueg,h tMoinff liisnn ot
authortiozg erda npte rmissfoifrou nr thuesreo sfc opyrigshetleedc trieopnrsi nted
int his book wiptehromuits sotiftho hene oiwrn erPse.r missmiuosbnte o btained
frotmh ei ndivicdoupaylr iogwhnte arssi dentihfieerde Aidnd.r ersesq uefsotprse r­
missitoomn a kec opioefsH oughton MmiaftfelritinoaP le rmissHiooungsh,t on
MiffCloimnp an2y1,P5 a rAkv enuSeo utNhe,w Y orNke,w Y or1k0 003.
VisoiutrW ebs itwwew:. houghtonmifflinbooks.com.
ISSN1 530-5108
ISBN0 -681-08297-2
ISBN0 -168-31478(-p6b k.)
Printientd h Ue nitSetda toefAms e rica
DOC to9 8 7 6 25 I 4 3
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Coenntts
ForewoXlr d
InrtoducbtyNi aotnaA lnigei xev r
ROYF .B AUMEITSERV.oi lePnritd e
froSmc ienAtm iefnicca n
BURKHARBDIL GERB.r aiSsheadon fFk re e-RPaonssgue?m 10
froOm utside
K.C .C OLE.M indO veMra tt2er1
froTmh Leo Asn geTliemse s
RICHAD RCONINFaF nHdA RRYM ARSHALILn. R tehaeol fm
VrituRaela l2i4ty
froSmm ithsonian
FREDERCIKC .C REWSS.a nvgiUf5romDarwi3n4
froTm hNrew YorRevki ewo fBo oks
BARBAAR EHRENIRCEHW.el cotmoCe a cnenrlda 58
froHma rperM:'a gazine
H.B RUCE AFNRKLITNh.Me o sItmp ortFainsithnt hSee a8 0
froDmi scover
MALCOLGML ADWE.LE LxaminLefied 8 9
froTm hNeew Yorker
GARYG REENBERAGs.G ooadsD ead1 01
froTm hNee wY orker
Vlll Contents
GORDOGNR ICEI.sT hata MounLtiaoiinnYn o uBra ckya1r41d ?
froDmi scover
BLAINHEA RDENT.h e iDnti hrNetew Machin1e42
froTmh Nee wY orTki mMeasg azine
ROBETR M.H AZENL.ife' Rso cSktya r13t7
froSmc ienAtmiefirci can
SARABHL AFFEHRR DY.M othaenrOdst he1r84s
froNma tuHrails tory
GARREKTE IZESRo.u anndFd ur y1 61
froHma rpeMra'gsa zine
VERLYNK LINKENBOTRhPGeu. r suofiI tn nocientn hcee
Golden 1S97t ate
froTmh Nee wY orTki mes
ROBETR KN ZU GI. R ipforeC onterros1vy8 1
froDmi scover
ANNE MATT HEW S.Wa ll SLtorsesWeaeltsSl ,t rGeaeitn 1s58
froOmri on
STEVMEI RSYK.D um,Db umDb,u hDumb1 69
froSmc ienAtmifiecr ican
JUDTIHN EWMAN." HIa vSee eCna ncDerisps paera"1 89
froDmi scover
DENNIOSV ERBYHEo.wI lsaWmo n,a nLdo st, itnh e Lead
Scie2nc01e
froTmh Nee wY orTki mes
C H RE ATYM O.A L itRtelmei nodfR eeray l'Ssic tal2e81
froTmh Beo stGolno be
ERISCC HLOSSEWhRy. M cDona'Flsrd iTeasstS eoG ood2 12
froTmh Aet laMnotnitch ly
DANIESLM ITSHh. oacnkDd i sbel34i eJ 2
froTmh Aet laMnotnitch ly
PETESRT ARKT.hS et ionftg hA es sas2s5i5n
froOmu tside
Contents IX
CLIEV THOMPSONT.h Ken ow-IlMtla- cAhi2n6e6
froLmi ngFruaan ca
JOYW ILILAMS.O nAecr e2 81
froHma rjJMearg'asz ine
KAREWNR IGHTVer.yD arEkne rgy2 92
froDmi scover
ContriNboutteo30sr1 s '
OthNeort aSbcliee anncNdea tuWrriet ionf2g 00 13 06
Foerwdo r
EVERYP ROFSESOINh aistr sio tfpe a ssacgreu,c giaub alrteae ned
tor odiolu batnsds econd thoucgahrtecseh roa ibPcoieulsto. t s
havteh esiorfll iog hstusr,g etohneosip re ratisocnisej.no c­uFero r
nalisttsh,af ti ricstrt'u sci inatle rwvhieetnwh erye alwiizteh,
mountingt hutanhteed ayos' neut,n dersast iannwgdol reod fw hat
somsec ieintste ilstlthi enImght. a ppetnome eds eveyreaaalrg so .
Ih ajdu sstta rwtoerdk aisanr ge pofrortD eirs cmoavgera zainnde
managteocd o nvimnye cdei tthoIarw t a s rteowa rdiaytf aeet ure.
Oneo ft hpee opInl eee dteoid n terfvroti hesewt owrayas n e mi­
nenpth ysiaNc oibsletal,u reHaegt rea.c isoeuatss litdywe ho o urs
ofh itsi moenw ei natfrrtyne oionPn r incteott aotlnomk e a boau t
perplexinign h ipfsri oeablp ldre,om b tlhewamat ts ob et hseu b­
jeocfmt y a ritcle.
It urnoenmd y t apree coradneadrs kmeydf irqsute stIino n.
reptlhype h ysicist saida ns" aonmteitshyitmnomgte atalrb iocu t
eiguenncoftni.I"tw asnt'htse o rta nosfw ewra sl Io okfiron.g
Worsiewt,as nt'htse o rt ofIc oaunulsnwdde err sFtraontmdh e.r e
thgea bpe twewehna tth peh yssiacaiindswd th aIft ol lowceodu ld
havbee emne asuirnme edag pacrssF.eot rh nee x7,t02 0s ecoIn ds
haadl mositd ewnaho at th kiisdn lrye,n owtnheodut,gf lguh entle­
man was atbaoluSktui.rIn ec g,o urledc ogtnhioezd edp hrase
heraent dh ebrueet,n tsiernet enceassw ehmlailvg eh ttb reaenns ­
mittedf rqeiune nraca yn agued iblteo c aonnilfynro ea sl l they
meatnomt e S.o mehtohfwee qwu estIsi pountst deurreitdnh rgee -
xii Foreword
mainodfte hrie n tieerdwvi dbne'ttmr yau yt tbeeurfd dleamnedn t
growpianngFi octr.h meo spta rIst a sti llepyn etrspniordidnign,g
or gruntainntdgh etnnofo sowt eri ltlhuoesfc i oomnp rehension.
Whetnh ien terfivnlialeeywn deIw da lkfeordmt hsen ow-cov­
erecda mptuots h e trwaoinu tladtk mheea t btaocM ka nhattan,
wondehroiwInw go uelvdew rr ians gt ofroryms ucihm pernaebtle
ramwa tebreifaolmr yde e aldinOev.et rh nee xftew we ekatsfe,r
many mhooruoerf is tn ervainepdwh so cnoen verswiattphie or­ns
hapasd ozpehny siIcfi insitssth,hea eds signTmheewno trw.ka s
gruelbiusntag t,i sfYing.
Thafitr isntt ieertwvu rnoeudtto b e sitmomi alnaoyrt hienrs
the years ahead. yfA aelrot fhf aoliuigtnhogd etlhiev epra nai ck
stoervye ntfuaeadldtl,hy he a rlda booftr r anstlhaweto ironkfsg c i­
entiinststoos m etthhiapnetgo pwlipela ly r etaohd a scnh'atn ged
ata lGlo.o d wriinste iveneagrsb yu,wt r itaibnogsu cti einescx e­
traordcihnaalrlielMnyog sjiton ugr.n awlhiestthse,r cotvheery­'re
incgr ipmoel,i otrbi ucssi,nc eaasntl s e,a assts uamc eo mmvoon­
cabu,l acare yrtdaeignro efse h arkendo wleodntg hepe,a rotf
theriera dneorttsom , e nttihoenii nrt ersvujibeecSwtc si.ew nrciet ­
erdso nh'atvt eh lautx .uF riyrtshtne ye etdou ndersetnaonuodgf h
thseu jbeactht a ntdoa srke leqvuaenstt Tihoetnnhs e.myu st mold
theiinrt ernvoitaeenwsbd a ckgrroeuanddoi fsn ugn dsrcyi ence
jourinnataln osa rratthiaarv tee a dweinrlo ljt u usntd setrabnudt
ejnoNyo.at n e apsyre osfsion.
Fortunfarout set,lhy e re are mandyoi etpx etorpelmee lwyh o
welTlh.e stthoeryia ertscee o lmlp elpleirnhtgah,pe s immopsotr ­
taonfto utri mJe.R.o beOrptp enihm,eet rhceo tnrorvseipahly si­
ciwshtoh eadtehde MaanthtParjnoe dcutr iWnorglW da rI Io,n ce
sai"daT,k eans s tao orfhy u maanc hievaenmhdeu nmta,bn l ind­
nestsh,de i svceoriinte hsse c ieanrcaeem so ntghg er eeapti" c s.
The stsocriietenesclu elsa s r neo atl wacyosmo frtiSntge.v en
WeinbearN go,b ellau rpehaytse i(cniotstht e wohnose o c on­
fuondemdey eaargos)h ,as sa tihda tm otrhpeeh ysisctiutsdhtyes
univetrhmseoe r,pe o ilneitsatsl s le emSsc.ii esnhttvasen oftuo nd
aneyv idoefnas c pee criofalroleh umaniintty hs ec heomfte h ings.
Instheuamda,ln ei lfoolkiska e v ermya rgipnhaeln omenon.
Knowitnhgca otu ntoltehssepsre chiaevaser iasneddni sappeared
one arotvhet rhp ea 3sb ti lyleiaotrnhs ee,x istoefHn ocmseopa iens
seelmesas nsdl edsisv ionredlayi anneded v emro rceo ntingent.