"The likeness of the life of the Present is as the rain which We send down from the skies: By its mingling arises the produce of the earth- which provides food for men and animals: (It grows) till the earth is clad with its golden ornaments and is decked out (in beauty): the people to whom it belongs think they have all powers of disposal over it: there reaches it Our command by night or by day, and We make it like a harvest clean-mown, as if it had not flourished only the day before! Thus do We explain the Signs in detail for those who reflect."
The verse is often explained as being a reminder of the transitory nature of life on earth (See Yosuf Ali's comment on the verse). But I think it may also contain a hint on the consequences when man loses sight of his natural and inherent weaknesses.
It is a mistake to assume a creature can have absolute control over nature or even a part of it. Because some information has to be missing. It is normal to acknowledge not having full information, and it is arrogant and unscientific to ignore such an inherent shortcoming in man. Arrogance can lead to a fake self-assurance that everything is or can be under control. And that could be the beginning of losing guard. A certain piece of information (unknown, ignored or its importance is underestimated) might have its effect when the appropriate circumstances occur, and the result can be minor or not so minor. A better behavior might be to be humble, acknowledge our limits, keep our eyes open as well as our minds, and try to understand the structure of existence, as it is (not just 'physical' according to religion).
The inherent weaknesses in a creature are constantly there, regardless of what level of technological knowledge a creature is at. In Religion, there is comfort for concerns over those weaknesses. By seeking guidance from God the Creator of all things (including Life and Death), the Omniscient, a religious person has accepted his inherent weaknesses and addressed, appropriately in my view, matters that man cannot ignore and are completely out of his hand to overcome.
