Nature changed her plan in order that more seeds might be produced

An example of personification of nature in science writing:

"Are we to believe that these contrivances in the Bee Ophrys are absolutely purposeless, as would certainly be the case if this species is perpetually self-fertilised? If the discs had been small or only viscid in a slight degree, if the other related contrivances had been imperfect in any degree, we might have concluded that they had begun to abort; that Nature, if I may use the expression, seeing that the Fly and Spider Ophrys were imperfectly fertilised and produced few seed-capsules, had changed her plan and effected complete and perpetual self-fertilisation, in order that more seeds might be produced."

Charles Darwin (1862) On the various contrivances by which British and foreign orchids are fertilised by insects, and on the good effects of intercrossing. London: John Murray

Darwin here makes it clear that his use of personification is meant as a figure of speech ('if I may use the expression'), but in doing so offers a pseudo-explanation of Nature having seen her original plan for fertilisation was not working well, responding by making a modification. This is quite contrary to the notion of natural selection being 'blind' and 'purposeless'.

Read about personification in science texts

Read examples of personifying nature

Read other examples of personification


photograph of bee orchid flower
Bee Orchid – Ophrys apifera (source Wikipedia – licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license).

Author: Keith

Former school and college science teacher, teacher educator, research supervisor, and research methods lecturer. Emeritus Professor of Science Education at the University of Cambridge.