The big bang, the most cataclysmic event we can imagine, on closer inspection appears finely orchestrated.
George SmootRead
I always think of space-time as being the real substance of space, and the galaxies and the stars just like the foam on the ocean.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Space-time is the fundamental reality, while galaxies and stars are mere surface phenomena.
In this quote, George Smoot emphasizes the significance of space-time as the core fabric of the universe, suggesting that while galaxies and stars are visible and tangible, they are merely superficial aspects of a deeper, more complex reality. By likening stars and galaxies to the foam on an ocean, he highlights how the vastness of space-time underpins everything we observe in the cosmos, illustrating the relationship between the fundamental forces of nature and the structures it gives rise to.
Themes
SpaceTimeUniverseGalaxiesStarsCosmosSubstance
In practice
Example use cases
In a documentary about the universe, using this quote can illustrate the nature of space and time.
More from George Smoot
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See first, think later, then test. But always see first. Otherwise you will only see what you were expecting. Most scientists forget that.
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If global warming is not contained, the West will face a choice of a refugee crisis of unimaginable proportions, or direct complicity in crimes against humanity.
George MonbiotRead