Science is a way to not fool ourselves.
Carl SaganRead
Even these stars, which seem so numerous, are as sand, as dust - or less than dust - in the enormity of the space in which there is nothing.
Interpretation
This quote reflects on the vastness of the universe and our relative insignificance within it.
Carl Sagan's quote explores the idea that, despite the apparent multitude of stars in the sky, they are as inconsequential as grains of sand in the immense emptiness of space. It serves as a reminder of the greater cosmic context and encourages humility in our understanding of our place in the universe.
In practice
During a lecture on astronomy, one might use this quote to emphasize the scale of the universe.
Science is a way to not fool ourselves.
In more than one respect, the exploring of the Solar System and homesteading other worlds constitutes the beginning, much more than the end, of history.
How smart does a chimpanzee have to be before killing him constitutes murder?
The hole in the ozone layer is a kind of skywriting. At first it seemed to spell out our continuing complacency before a witch's brew of deadly perils. But perhaps it really tells of a newfound talent to work together to protect the global environment.
There is a reward structure in science that is very interesting: Our highest honors go to those who disprove the findings of the most revered among us. So Einstein is revered not just because he made so many fundamental contributions to science, but because he found an imperfection in the fundamental contribution of Isaac Newton.
The simplest thought, like the concept of the number one, has an elaborate logical underpinning.
All things are cause for either laughter or weeping.
There would be no great men if there were no little ones.
Whenever you go through the length and breadth of our country... you see a long face: you will see the long face of an African woman because she's black, because she's poor.
Debt is a prolific mother of folly and of crime.
I am not unaware of the saying that more tears have been shed over wishes granted than wishes denied.
When I was four I joined a group of girls who were talking about their party dresses. I thought they were imagining, so I imagined a fantastic pink velvet dress with lots of jewels. But they were simply describing what they actually wore, and they had utter contempt for my obvious fiction. After that, I never joined a group again.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.