“He had a suspicion of plausible answers; they were so often wrong.”

Generous though exasperated (and with surprising levity), Clarke places Humanity appropriately (at the bottom) in the mysterious order of the infinity that is the cosmos. We understand next to nothing about the universe except our own reflection. But tiny as we are, awed, we strive inquisitively and resourcefully, despite our fears and limitations, sometimes even doing the right thing, to know that which is yet unknown. 

Diagram of Rama from the Rendezvous with Rama videogame.