The history of a species, or any natural phenomenon that requires unbroken continuity in a world of trouble, works like a batting streak. All are games of a gambler playing with a limited stake against a house with infinite resources. The gambler must eventually go bust. His aim can only be to stick around as long as possible, to have some fun while he's at it, and, if he happens to be a moral agent as well, to worry about staying the course with honor.

"The Streak of Streaks", pp. 186–187; originally published in The New York Review of Books (1988-08-18) - Triumph and Tragedy in Mudville (2003)