--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Faced with a new mutation in an organism…" description: "\"Faced with a new mutation in an organism, or a fundamental change in its living conditions, the biologist is frequently in no position whatever to pred..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ea/george-wald-9544_admirable_faced-with-a-new-mutation-in-an-organism_3095361.jpg" --- # Faced with a new mutation in an organism, or a fundamental… ![“Faced with a new mutation in an organism, or a fundamental change in its living conditions, the biologist is frequently in no position whatever to predict its future prospects. He has to wait and see. For instance, the hairy mammoth seems to have been an admirable animal, intelligent and…” quote by George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ea/george-wald-9544_admirable_faced-with-a-new-mutation-in-an-organism_3095361.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ea/george-wald-9544_admirable_faced-with-a-new-mutation-in-an-organism_3095361.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ea/george-wald-9544_admirable_faced-with-a-new-mutation-in-an-organism_3095361.jpg) > “Faced with a new mutation in an organism, or a fundamental change in its living conditions, the biologist is frequently in no position whatever to predict its future prospects. He has to wait and see. For instance, the hairy mammoth seems to have been an admirable animal, intelligent and well-accoutered. Now that it is extinct, we try to understand why it failed. I doubt that any biologist thinks he could have predicted that failure. Fitness and survival are by nature estimates of past performance.” [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Biologists cannot reliably forecast an organism’s fate after major mutations or environmental shifts; they must observe outcomes over time. **In simple terms:** Predicting future survival after big changes is uncertain. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty and monitor results. Themes uncertainty biology evolution prediction adaptation Mood reflective cautious Type scientific philosophical When to use this quote - research planning - conservation strategies - risk assessment Key Concepts scientific method probabilistic reasoning historical analysis Questions to Reflect On - What data improve predictive models? - How do we balance precaution with innovation? A Different Perspective Predictions may be limited by incomplete data and complex interactions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Biologist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biologist/) [Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Living conditions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-conditions/) [Organisms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organisms/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [“It's not human. It's not primal. So we don't understand it. It's a more recent mutation. 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Every one has a different answer. Some people say it is never to submit to the dictation of a King. Others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-howard-shaw/what-is-americanism-every-one-has-a-different-answer-some-people-say/) [Anna Howard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-howard-shaw/) > [“unless you consider it just for the worst sort of people to have the best living conditions, or unless you're prepared to call a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-more/unless-you-consider-it-just-for-the-worst-sort-of-people-to-have-the/) [Thomas More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-more/) > [Our Party maintains the improvement of the people's living conditions as the most important of the numerous state affairs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-jong-un/our-party-maintains-the-improvement-of-the-people-s-living-conditions/) [Kim Jong-un](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-jong-un/) > [While we ourselves are the living graves of murdered animals, how can we expect any ideal living conditions on this earth?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/while-we-ourselves-are-the-living-graves-of-murdered-animals-how-can/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Moreover, it is so important that people have the opportunity to share their stories and have them documented. There have been large-scale oral history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-leavy/moreover-it-is-so-important-that-people-have-the-opportunity-to-share/) [Patricia Leavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-leavy/) > [My family moved to the Philippines when I was 14. While living there, I learned that my mom grew up very poor. Seeing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/my-family-moved-to-the-philippines-when-i-was-14-while-living-there-i/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) > [Only yesterday mankind lived in fear of the scourges of smallpox, cholera and plague that once swept nations before them. Now our major concern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/only-yesterday-mankind-lived-in-fear-of-the-scourges-of-smallpox/) [Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/) > [Culture is how biology responds and makes its living conditions better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-cherryh-2/culture-is-how-biology-responds-and-makes-its-living-conditions-better/) [C. J. Cherryh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-cherryh-2/) ## More by George Wald > [Civilization will end within 15 or 30 years unless immediate action is taken against problems facing mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/civilization-will-end-within-15-or-30-years-unless-immediate-action/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [So-called defense now absorbs sixty per cent of the national budget, and about twelve per cent of the Gross National Product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/so-called-defense-now-absorbs-sixty-per-cent-of-the-national-budget/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [I have lived much of my life among molecules. They are good company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/i-have-lived-much-of-my-life-among-molecules-they-are-good-company/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [Evolution advances, not by a priori design, but by the selection of what works best out of whatever choices offer. We are the products…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/evolution-advances-not-by-a-priori-design-but-by-the-selection-of/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [Every creature alive on the earth today represents an unbroken line of life that stretches back to the first primitive organism to appear on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/every-creature-alive-on-the-earth-today-represents-an-unbroken-line/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [I think if a physician wrote on a death certificate that old age was the cause of death, he'd be thrown out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/i-think-if-a-physician-wrote-on-a-death-certificate-that-old-age-was/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [I am growing old, and my future, so to speak, is already behind me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/i-am-growing-old-and-my-future-so-to-speak-is-already-behind-me/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [A scientist should be the happiest of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/a-scientist-should-be-the-happiest-of-men/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [I think all of you know there is no adequate defense against massive nuclear attack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/i-think-all-of-you-know-there-is-no-adequate-defense-against-massive/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [We've committed many war crimes in Vietnam - but I'll tell you something interesting about that. We were committing war crimes in World War…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/we-ve-committed-many-war-crimes-in-vietnam-but-i-ll-tell-you/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [Science goes from question to question; big questions, and little, tentative answers. The questions as they age grow ever broader, the answers are seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/science-goes-from-question-to-question-big-questions-and-little/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [There's life all over this universe, but the only life in the solar system is on earth, and in the whole universe we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/there-s-life-all-over-this-universe-but-the-only-life-in-the-solar/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [I think I know what is bothering the students. I think that what we are up against is a generation that is by no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/i-think-i-know-what-is-bothering-the-students-i-think-that-what-we/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [A physicist is an atom's way of knowing about atoms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/a-physicist-is-an-atom-s-way-of-knowing-about-atoms/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [There are only two possible explanations as to how life arose: Spontaneous generation arising to evolution or a supernatural creative act of God… There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/there-are-only-two-possible-explanations-as-to-how-life-arose/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) [Explore all 72 George Wald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) ## More Admirable quotes > [Consumer wants can have bizarre, frivolous, or even immoral origins, and an admirable case can still be made for a society that seeks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/consumer-wants-can-have-bizarre-frivolous-or-even-immoral-origins-and/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Education is very admirable but let us not forget that anything worth knowing cannot be taught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/education-is-very-admirable-but-let-us-not-forget-that-anything-worth/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Happiness is a rare plant that seldom takes root on earth-few ever enjoyed it, except for a brief period; the search after it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marguerite-gardiner-countess-of-blessington/happiness-is-a-rare-plant-that-seldom-takes-root-on-earth-few-ever/) [Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marguerite-gardiner-countess-of-blessington/) > [Worthy is the one who remembers to thank the Lord for all His blessings; but admirable is the one who still thank God in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/worthy-is-the-one-who-remembers-to-thank-the-lord-for-all-his/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [It is admirable to consider how many millions of people come into, and go out of the world, ignorant of themselves and of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/it-is-admirable-to-consider-how-many-millions-of-people-come-into-and/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [What is pure Bill? 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