The game I play is a very interesting one. It's imagination, in a tight straightjacket.
Richard P. FeynmanRead
Future generations will wonder in bemused amazement that the early 21st century's developed world went into hysterical panic over a globally averaged temperature increase of a few tenths of a degree, and, on the basis of gross exaggerations of highly uncertain computer projections combined into implausible chains of inference, proceeded to contemplate a roll-back of the industrial age.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the absurdity of fear surrounding minor temperature increases and the drastic measures considered in response.
Richard Lindzen's quote critiques the panic exhibited by societies in the early 21st century regarding climate change, suggesting that future generations will view such reactions as exaggerated and irrational. He points to the reliance on uncertain computer models and implausible reasoning that led to calls for drastic reductions in industrial activity, reflecting on how overreactions to minor changes can lead to extreme solutions.
Themes
Climate ChangeTemperaturePanicIndustrial AgeFuture Generations
In practice
Example use cases
In a documentary discussing climate policy, this quote can be used to illustrate the extremes of public reaction.
Similar quotes
If you look at all the serious scientists in the world, there is no big disagreement on the basics of this...it would be absolute lunacy to act as if climate change is not occurring.
Nicholas SternRead
Farming is the riskiest profession in the world since the fate of the crop is closely linked to the behaviour of the monsoon.
M. S. SwaminathanRead
In a spiral galaxy, the ratio of dark-to-light matter is about a factor of ten. That's probably a good number for the ratio of our ignorance-to-knowledge. We're out of kindergarten, but only in about third grade.
Vera RubinRead
Where we have good, testable explanations, they then have to be tested, and we drop the ones that fail the tests.
David DeutschRead
More than any other product of human scientific culture scientific knowledge is the collective property of all mankind.
Konrad LorenzRead