But if ever you succeed in seeing the painting as people saw it in centuries past, you will discover something astounding: the Mona Lisa looks entirely different from what we have been led to believe.
The myth, as the production of man 's myth thinking to learn and understand the world, its wonderful contents has become the inspiration of a great many art works.
Now utopia has grown unfashionable, as we have gained a deeper appreciation of the range of threats facing us, from asteroid strike to epidemic flu and to climate change.
While we invoke the precautionary principle, which always recommends erring on the side of caution, we have to recognize there will be trade-offs to be made.