Response to 'The Man who Walked Home", a short story by James Tiptree
In this story, a man caught in a perpetual loop from a malfunctioned particle accelerator would re-appear every year for a brief second and thrash about. Those who witnessed him thought it to be a monster or spirit.
When I began to reflect upon it, I was astonished by how often I realised this occurs. Whenever something strange and new is seen, we first blame it on the supernatural, before science can explain it. An earthquake is first "The wrath of God", an electromagnetic phenomenon becomes a ghost, and a giant squid become "The Dark God Cthullu".
But is this a bad thing? If science explains everything, will there be no more mystery or legend left in the world? And if so, what will happen to our imaginations? Humanity may soon find out.
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