Reference

Question

That so much should be balanced on so fine a point - that the fruit of four and a half billion years can be undone in a careless moment - is a fact against which belief rebels. And there is another, even vaster measure of the loss, for stretching ahead from our present are more billions of years of life on Earth, all of which can be filled not only with human life but with human civilization.
What does 'which' in bold refer to?

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi Taka,

more billions of years

Clive

Taka · Answer

Good.
Now, Clive, how do you think more billion years filled with human life and civilization can be the reason for the loss?

Clive · Answer

Hi,
That so much should be balanced on so fine a point - that the fruit of four and a half billion years can be undone in a careless moment - is a fact against which belief rebels. And there is another, even vaster measure of the loss, for stretching ahead from our present are more billions of years of life on Earth, all of which can be filled not only with human life but with human civilization.

Without the earlier context, I don't really understand what the writer is talking about.
eg What does 'so much' refer to? What is 'so fine a point?' What is the 'loss' that is being spoken of?

how do you think more billion years filled with human life and civilization can be the reason for the loss? The writer does not refer to 'a reason'. He refers to 'a measure'. That's not the same thing.

Clive

Taka · Answer

CliveWithout the earlier context, I don't really understand what the writer is talking about.
eg What does 'so much' refer to? What is 'so fine a point?' What is the 'loss' that is being spoken of?

The original has this in front, for your information:
The machinery of destruction is complete, poised on a hair trigger, waiting for the 'button' to be 'pushed' by some misguided or deranged human being or for some faulty computer chip to send out the instruction to fire.

Clive The writer does not refer to 'a reason'. He refers to 'a measure'. That's not the same thing.

Clive

The author says:
And there is another, even vaster measure of the loss, for stretching ahead from our present are more billions of years of life on Earth, all of which can be filled not only with human life but with human civilization.
Isn't the underlined for-clause a reason for a vaster measure of the loss, the loss to a greater extent?

Clive · Answer

Hi,

The machinery of destruction is complete, poised on a hair trigger, waiting for the 'button' to be 'pushed' by some misguided or deranged human being or for some faulty computer chip to send out the instruction to fire.

That so much should be balanced on so fine a point - that the fruit of four and a half billion years can be undone in a careless moment - is a fact against which belief rebels. And there is another, even vaster measure of the loss, for stretching ahead from our present are more billions of years of life on Earth, all of which can be filled not only with human life but with human civilization.

how do you think more billion years filled with human life and civilization can be the reason for the loss?
The author says:
And there is another, even vaster measure of the loss, for stretching ahead from our present are more billions of years of life on Earth, all of which can be filled not only with human life but with human civilization.

Isn't the underlined for-clause a reason for a vaster measure of the loss, the loss to a greater extent?

In your original post, you asked about the reason for the loss. The reason for the loss would be someone pushing the button or a faulty computer.

The latter part of the sentence talks about how to measure the size of the loss. The loss of billions of years of future life is a way of measuring the size of the loss that would occur if the instruction were given to fire.

Clive

Taka · Answer

OH! Now I see what it means!
I don't know what got into me but I realized that I read it in a strange way.
Thanks, Clive!

Taka · Answer

Clive, can I ask one more?
What do you think the 'should' in bold mean? Is it the most common one meaning almost the same as 'have to'? Or is it something else?
The machinery of destruction is complete, poised on a hair trigger, waiting for the 'button' to be 'pushed' by some misguided or deranged human being or for some faulty computer chip to send out the instruction to fire. That so much should be balanced on so fine a point - that the fruit of four and a half billion years can be undone in a careless moment - is a fact against which belief rebels. And there is another, even vaster measure of the loss, for stretching ahead from our present are more billions of years of life on Earth, all of which can be filled not only with human life but with human civilization.

Clive · Answer

Hi,
What do you think the 'should' in bold mean? Is it the most common one meaning almost the same as 'have to'? No.
Or is it something else? Yes.

The machinery of destruction is complete, poised on a hair trigger, waiting for the 'button' to be 'pushed' by some misguided or deranged human being or for some faulty computer chip to send out the instruction to fire. That so much should be balanced on so fine a point - that the fruit of four and a half billion years can be undone in a careless moment - is a fact against which belief rebels. And there is another, even vaster measure of the loss, for stretching ahead from our present are more billions of years of life on Earth, all of which can be filled not only with human life but with human civilization.

You are asking about
That so much should be balanced on so fine a point . . . is a fact ( against which belief rebels. )

Let's consider a simpler example.
That she should love me is an amazing fact.
(Note also that this type of sentence can be reworded as 'It is an amazing fact that she should love me'.)

'Should' here suggests that it is an unlikely, surprising scenario, one that is almost hypothetical.
In my above example (and in your original one), we are explicitly told that it is a fact.
However, consider these, where it is not a fact.
That she should love me seems unlikely.
That she should love me is impossible.
I think that this use of 'should' has a feeling of 'by chance'.

For a slightly different construction with the same idea of 'by chance', consider a statement like
I cleaned my apartment in case my mother should visit me.

Best wishes, Clive

Taka · Answer

So the should in question is the same kind as these shoulds below?
It is only natural that she should be angry with you.
It's a good thing that he should recognize his faults.
It's a pity that he should lose such an opportunity.

Clive · Answer

Hi,
Yes.
Clive

Reference

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions