Abel Muranda fought off furious red ants with mandibles that could cut through a miser's padlock.

Professor, when people say such things after impossibility smacks them in the face, we call it denial

... the poor always live on debt. At this point, time is the only thing I still have the credibility to borrow.

.... does a fair trial necessarily amount to a fair outcome?

Not all diseases come from bacteria and viruses, Professor. The worst often come from things you cannot see under a microscope. This plant is infested with an aggressive strain of such invisible germs.

... cynicism is the only tool that can scrape away the tint off rose-coloured glasses.

The plant and animal kingdoms (excluding humans) offered some pleasant surprises. Organisms from these realms are much simpler to figure out. Their behaviours are not muddied by personality factors or flawed belief systems. If an insect smells like a fart, you can be sure that the stench has a genetic basis. It is neither trying to make a lofty point, nor is it suffering from an inferiority complex.

In Panama, I found a spider that eats its own limbs during lean times. I am told they grow back. But though the distinction is razor-thin, desperation is not the same thing as determination. Nevertheless, auto-cannibalism is one the most intriguing phenomenon I have ever heard of.

Blood is a reservoir of delights. It is a treasure trove for those who know what to look for, and how to isolate it from the rest of the junk. I know how to do both.