The witnessing of titanic events is always dangerous, usually painful, and often fatal.
The perversity of the Universe tends towards a maximum.
You learn by writing short stories. Keep writing short stories. The money's in novels, but writing short stories keeps your writing lean and pointed.
How much intelligence does it take to sneak up on a leaf?
Mother Nature doesn't care if you're having fun.
Species evolve to meet the environment. An intelligent species changes the environment to suit itself. As soon as a species becomes intelligent, it should stop evolving.