Talk to people... everything good I've done has come from conversations with people. Science is a very social phenomenon.
John C. MatherRead
Astronomers can look back in time. We can look at things as they used to be. We have an idea there was a Big Bang explosion 13.7 billion years ago. We have a story of how galaxies and stars were made. It's an amazing story.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the ability of astronomers to study the universe's history through light from distant objects.
John C. Mather expresses the profound ability of astronomers to explore the universe's past, conveying that by observing celestial bodies, we can uncover narratives about the formation of galaxies and stars that date back billions of years. This exploration not only reveals scientific insights but also evokes a sense of wonder about the cosmos and our place within it.
Themes
AstronomyBig BangUniverseHistoryStarsGalaxiesExploration
In practice
Example use cases
In a talk about the mysteries of the universe, this quote can inspire awe and curiosity among the audience.
More from John C. Mather
All quotes βMany of the problems facing the nation and the world today may only be solved if their technical elements are understood - climate change, energy supply, health care, and infrastructure, to name just a few.
John C. MatherRead
Even your chin is made up of exploded stars.
John C. MatherRead
There's no such thing as saying that we'll ever find the ultimate cause of stuff. We can only work to push our understanding one step further.
John C. MatherRead
My interest in science started quite early. My earliest school recollection, from age 6, is actually of mathematics, realizing that one could fill an entire page with digits and never come to the largest possible number, so I saw what was meant by infinity.
John C. MatherRead
We are discovering what the universe is really like, and it is totally magnificent, and one can only be inspired and awestruck by what we find.
John C. MatherRead
Similar quotes
Spots are on the surface of the solar body where they are produced and also dissolved, some in shorter and others in longer periods. They are carried around the Sun; an important occurrence in itself.
Galileo GalileiRead
At lunch Francis [Crick] winged into the Eagle to tell everyone within hearing distance that we had found the secret of life.
James D. WatsonRead
Science not only purifies the religious impulse of the dross of its anthropomorphism but also contributes to a religious spiritualization of our understanding of life.
Albert EinsteinRead
Landing in the ocean and waiting for the Navy to come alongside and haul you out of the drink is what space capsules require. And after the capsule is recovered, it would take weeks for the ship to return to port.
Buzz AldrinRead
Astronauts are not superhuman. They lead ordinary lives and have varied personalities.
Buzz AldrinRead
If there is anything more frightening than the threat of global nuclear war, it is the certainty that humans not only stand on the verge of producing new life forms but may soon be able to tinker with them as if they were vintage convertibles or bonsai trees.
Michael SpecterRead