Lewis Thomas - The greatest single achievement of nature to date was surely the invention of the molecule of DNA
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Welcome to The Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm your host, Andrew McGivern, for April 25th.
It’s National DNA Day – a celebration of the completion of the Human Genome Project back in 2003 and the discovery of DNA's double helix structure in 1953. In other words, it’s the perfect day to appreciate the little spiral staircase inside every cell of your body... the one that's been quietly bossing you around since before you were born.
Now, if that weren’t cool enough, today’s even more exciting because—brace yourself—Dire Wolves are back. Yes, the real-life Game of Thrones mascots have recently been brought back into existence thanks to breakthroughs in genetic science. Scientists basically went full sci-fi and used ancient DNA to resurrect a creature that went extinct over 10,000 years ago. Jurassic Park, but with more hair and fewer scales.
So in honor of DNA Day and our newly revived prehistoric pooches, today’s quote is is from Lewis Thomas, who once said:
"The greatest single achievement of nature to date was surely the invention of the molecule of DNA."
Let that sink in for a moment. Of all the mountains, oceans, stars, and wombats nature has whipped up over the last few billion years, Lewis Thomas gives the crown to DNA. And honestly, fair enough. DNA is like the ultimate instruction manual—except it never comes in 12 languages and doesn’t require an Allen wrench.
Think about it: DNA holds the code for life itself. It decides everything from the color of your eyes to whether you can roll your tongue. And now, it's even got the power to bring back the Dire Wolf. That’s not just nature's greatest achievement—that's borderline sorcery.
What I love about today’s quote is how it grounds us in wonder. Every single cell in your body is running on a 3.2-billion-letter instruction manual, co-written by your ancestors and fine-tuned by evolution. And every day, scientists are decoding more of it to solve diseases, improve lives—and occasionally resurrect apex predators. Priorities, right?
So on this DNA Day, maybe take a moment to appreciate the genetic blueprint humming quietly inside you. And hey, maybe send a thank-you card to your ancestors while you're at it. After all, without their DNA, you'd just be... well, nothing. And the world needs you here—preferably not being chased by a Dire Wolf.
That’s it for today’s episode. Thanks for spending a few minutes of your day with me. Keep that curiosity alive, marvel at the science happening all around you, and remember—you are literally made of the most epic code in the universe.
Until next time, this is Andrew McGivern signing off for today but I'll be back tomorrow, same pod time, same pod station with another Daily Quote.