"We are in this together now, arts and science, or all out and lost."

Jeanette Winterson is one of my favorite authors. In one of her recent books she weaved in the evolution of cyanobacteria and the ancient earth into a revisit of the story of Atlas and Hercules called Weight. I liked how she mixed the science and mythology, and enjoyed the subtle irony that they (bacteria and mythology like Hercules) must have always coexisted. It's easy to forget that bacteria are so much older than we are since our civilization has only become aware of them relatively recently. And I thought it was coincidental that I too had once written about the evolution of cyanobacteria and the early earth. So I wrote a brief email to her fanmail website. And to my surprise she wrote back with this gem:

I love science too – and have been a subscriber to New Scientist for years – I think you will be interested in the new book The Stone Gods – about a beginning world. It is too late for factionalism and clubs – we are in this together now, arts and science, or all out and lost.
Best JW