We are because nature is May 28, 2021, 11:35 PM IST An eclectic mind in a peripatetic body! There is something very primordial about a cyclone and other forms of Mother Nature’s fury. No matter how much humans “advance”, there is still very little that we can do about them. Volcanos still erupt suddenly, disrupting airline schedules for days on end; earthquakes flatten even the most solid manmade constructions; and yes, cyclones tear through cities and rural areas with equal intensity. We are reminded of our innate vulnerability. But advances in science—and an information overload—also heighten our dread, even as forewarnings reduce deaths and destruction. We knew this week, for instance, that Cyclone Yaas was about to happen even before he (or she, as it means jasmine in Persian) was a windy little eddy above the Bay of Bengal. Thanks to accurate weather forecasting, there is little chance now of a nasty surprise like Cyclone Bhola, that killed 5 lakh people in 1970.