The author shows that the argument is valid by listing several strange real-life examples. He mentions specific cases like the Caribbean sponge, the fer-de-lance snake, and spider silk as inspirations for medical advancements, which demonstrates the fallacy of only valuing species based on their usefulness.
"Useless
Creatures"
by Richard Conniff
This article contains no useful information. Zero. Nada. Nothing. If usefulness is your criterion for reading, thank you very much for your time and oodbye, we have nothing more to sa he truth is that I am bored to tears b usefulness. I am bored, more precisely, of pretending usefulness is the thing that really matters.
I mostly write about wildlife. So here is how it typically happens for me: A study comes out indicating that species x, y and z are in imminent danger of extinction, or that some major bioregion of the planet is being sucked down into the abyss. And it's my job to convince people that they should care, even as they are racing to catch the 7:10 train, or wondering if they'll be able to pay this month's (or last month's) rent.
My usual strategy is to trot out a list of ways even the most obscure species can prove unexpectedly, yes, useful. The first effective treatment that turned H.I.V. from a death sentence into a manageable condition? Inspired by the biochemistry of a nondescript Caribbean sponge. The ACE inhibitors that are currently among our most effective treatments for cardiovascular disease (and which have lately been proposed as a treatment for Ebola)? Developed by studying the venom of the fer-de-lance, a deadly snake found from Mexico to northern South America. The new medical bandage that's gentle enough for the delicate skin of newborns and the elderly? Modeled on the silk of spider webs.
Every time I begin this line of argument, though, I get the queasy feeling that I am perpetuating a fallacy. It's not that I'm telling lies; these examples are entirely
Use the passage to answer the question.
In the last paragraph, the author argues that trying to convince people to care about animals because animals are useful can get silly. How does the author show that this argument is valid?
(1 point)
• He includes examples of
animals with humorous names.
He includes a funny personal
observation.
• He lists credible sources.
He lists several strange real-life examples.
1 answer
1 answer