The bones that destroyed human narcissism

For tens of thousands of years, humanity lived in the conviction that its species was the “master of the universe.” Yet that illusion did not endure; time dismantled it, though no specific date or single individual can be credited with ending that belief. The misconception did not vanish overnight but unfolded through a long, gradual process of scientific and philosophical transformations that shook humanity’s centrality in the cosmos. This historical shift can be divided into major milestones. The first was the shock of the Copernican Revolution in 1543, when Nicolaus Copernicus demonstrated that the Sun, not the Earth, is the center of the universe. His discovery dealt a severe blow to Christian religious thought. Then, in 1609, the Italian scientist Galileo turned his telescope toward the sky and discovered numerous planets and stars. Philosophers and clergy began to realize that the universe was far vaster than the interpretations of sacred texts had suggested. Humanity subsequently ventured into space and built increasingly powerful telescopes. In the mid-20th century, Edwin Hubble proved that our Milky Way is merely one galaxy among billions in the universe, and that the cosmos is continuously expanding. Modern telescopes have revealed that there are trillions of galaxies, not merely billions, leading humans to recognize that their planet is but a “grain of sand” lost in an immense expanse of deep space. Then came Isaac Newton, the most important scientist in human history, who demonstrated that the universe operates according to mathematical laws, eliminating the need to explain everything through dogmatic texts. Einstein followed, showing that seemingly settled matters such as space, time, and reality are relative, and that our intuitions about the cosmos are mistaken, quite simply. Alan Turing, the mathematician, also succeeded in redefining the meaning of “thinking” and whether machines are capable of it. The British scientist Charles Darwin played a pivotal role in revealing the modesty of human capabilities and cementing his place in human history. Without his discoveries, modern science would not have so early reached the miracle of antibiotics and insulin, both of which stem from scientists’ understanding of the theory of evolution, which has become a scientific fact confirmed by evidence day after day. Without it, medicine and biology would not have advanced, nor would a branch of medicine known as evolutionary medicine have emerged, which relies fundamentally on Darwin’s observations. Dr. Khalid Mansour, an Egyptian consultant physician and researcher, notes that on November 24, 1859, the book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life was published. Modern biology was built upon his shoulders; every patient who received a liver or heart transplant, or was saved by medication or surgery, owes a debt to the brilliant idea of evolution that Darwin bequeathed to humanity. Yet many continue to oppose the new, resist evolution, and take pleasure in their stagnant conditions. Ahmad Al-Sarraff