In "Oryx and Crake," the character Crake emphasizes that systems can adapt to change depending on how quickly that change occurs. He uses an analogy about touching a wall with your head versus hitting it at high speed to illustrate the consequences of rapid change. The slower interaction doesn't cause harm, while the fast impact leads to significant damage.

Crake's metaphor of being in a "speed tunnel" suggests that when external forces, like water moving faster than a boat, overwhelm a system, control becomes impossible. This underscores the challenges of navigating societal and environmental changes that happen too swiftly for effective management.