In fact, the Earth is a crumb in a supermarket filled with resources.

When it gets to about 160 degrees, the proteins all line up and they create structure, the gluten structure what ultimately we will call the crumb of the bread.

The struggle to mold our future, to stave off the humanitarian disasters of war, disease, and starvation leaves little room to be philosophical about our place on this crumb of cosmic dust. But many scientists, including me, have a sense that the universe might be about to reach in and give us a metaphorical slap in the face.