Jacques Monod’s Roulette

Abstract

The idea that evolution, of which man is one of the results, is due to mutations which occur at random, didn’t only shock religious minds. Many scientists have pondered this element of chance, ultimately finding it an embarrassing point for future research. Rather than chance, in the context of a nuclear cell, it’s a complex mix of thermal agitation, quantum chance and a good dose of our own simple ignorance. Unable to fulfil our reductionist amibitions, unable to give an exhaustive and definitive description of epigenesis, we express our ignorance through the vocabulary of randomness, not only at the level of cellular ontogenesis, but also for issues about biodiversity and stability of ecosystems.