VICTOR RANGEL

It can often seem like we are constantly surrounded by dreadful news, such as catastrophic weather events, horrific mass murders, and human rights abuses.  Despite being initially disturbed, we can often become inured to grim news the more we are exposed to it.  At worst, we may even become unable to show any signs of empathy, regardless of how severe a situation can get.  The Black-Bodied Peppered Moth serves as the perfect metaphor for this process, demonstrating how, in order to adapt to a constant inundation of bad news, we become desensitized, potentially to the point of dehumanization.  During the industrial revolution in England, trees became dark with soot, and so the color of the species of moth evolved into a darker shade so it could continue to camouflage itself.