The Apocryphal Letter: Vermeer to Leeuwenhoek

The apocryphal letter--from Vermeer to Leeuwenhoek (commonly considered to be the first microbiologist)--is posited in Herbert's essay "Letter." It is largely meant to address the differences between Art and Science. Here is an excerpt:

    I am afraid that you and others like you are setting out on a dangerous journey that might bring humanity not only advantages but also great, irreparable harm. Haven't you noticed that the more the means and tools of observation are perfected, the more distant and elusive become the goals? With each new discovery a new abyss opens. We are more and more lonely in the mysterious void of the universe.

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