by Elio
We have now posted Talmudic Question #50, so this may be a time to reflect on this endeavor. True to our intent, these have been questions that have no definitive answers but most of the responses offered thoughtful conjectures. The pleasure resides in contemplating the question. What deeper meaning lies therein?
As an aside, the question "how many angels can dance on the head of a pin" may sound Talmudic but actually has a totally different origin, as discussed here.
The source of these Talmudic Questions? Notably, about one quarter were submitted by aficionados among our readers, and we are mighty glad for it. Those are among the very best. The rest arose from an inventory of questions carried along through the years, or that popped up at night during moments of wakefulness. As always, we have several more waiting in the wings. The well seems inexhaustible.
We hope that you enjoy this exercise and that you will share your answers with us. Better yet, consider sending us your own Talmudic Questions. We know that there is at least one taking shape in each of you.
Can we force a microorganism to do something in vitro that it never does in the environment? If we can force it to happen in a test tube, should we assume that the phenomenon occurs somewhere out in nature and that we just haven't yet discovered and documented the occurence?
Posted by: Erika Szymanski | June 19, 2009 at 11:25 PM