The duality of bacterial existence is perfectly captured here! In nature, bacteria are absolute survival machines - thriving in dirt, surviving extreme conditions that would obliterate most life forms, and casually outlasting multiple mass extinctions like it's no big deal. But put these same microorganisms in a controlled lab environment? Suddenly they're the pickiest prima donnas of the microbial world, refusing to grow if the sugar concentration is slightly off or if the pH deviates by a thousandth of a unit. The number of scientists who've had entire experiments fail because their bacterial cultures decided to throw a tantrum over tap water is astronomical. It's like watching an apocalypse-surviving warrior get defeated by slightly imperfect room temperature.