Part
I—We Are Encased in Context
One
of the first things they tell you in tenth grade biology class is that we are
all submerged in an ocean of air. That is an ocean made up of 78% nitrogen, 21%
oxygen and 1% other gases plus water vapor. Just like a fish out of water, we
can’t survive outside of this environment. However, what they don’t tell you in
tenth grade, though they really should, is there are other environments just as
pervasive that surround us and, for better or worse, help shape us by their
content.