Let us suppose that we have laid on the table... [a] piece…
![“Let us suppose that we have laid on the table... [a] piece of glass... and let us homologize this glass to a whole order of plants or birds. Let us hit this glass a blow in such a manner as but to crack it up. The sectors circumscribed by cracks following the first blow may here be understood to…” quote by Leon Croizat](https://sms4smile.com/q/i/75f/leon-croizat-94198_bird_let-us-suppose-that-we-have-laid-on-the_1001009.jpg)
“Let us suppose that we have laid on the table... [a] piece of glass... and let us homologize this glass to a whole order of plants or birds. Let us hit this glass a blow in such a manner as but to crack it up. The sectors circumscribed by cracks following the first blow may here be understood to represent families. Continuing, we may crack the glass into genera, species and subspecies to the point of finally having the upper right hand corner a piece about 4 inches square representing a sub-species.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The analogy compares cracking glass to classifying biological taxa, illustrating how a single break can represent families, and further cracks represent genera, species, and subspecies.
In simple terms: Cracking glass models taxonomy hierarchy.
Key Takeaway
Use analogies to simplify complex ideas.
Themes
science education
taxonomy
analogy
Mood
explanatory
metaphorical
Type
Bird:0
Blow:0
Continuing:0
Corners:0
Cracks:0
Evolution:0
Family:0
Firsts:0
Following:0
Gardening:0
Glasses:0
Hands:0
Inches:0
May:0
Order:0
Pieces:0
Plant:0
Representing:0
Right hand:0
Science:0
Species:0
Squares:0
Tables:0
Understood:0
Whole:0
Piece Glass:0
Glass Genera:0
Homologize Glass:0
Glass Order:0
Table Piece:0
When to use this quote
- The metaphor may oversimplify the nuanced process of scientific classification.
Key Concepts
teaching biology
explaining classification
visual learning
Questions to Reflect On
- educational
- illustrative
A Different Perspective
How can analogies aid understanding?;What are limits of this comparison?