Courage is never to let your actions be influenced by your fears.
Arthur KoestlerRead
Scientists are peeping toms at the keyhole of eternity.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Scientists seek to understand the mysteries of existence and time, yet they often glimpse only fragments of a much larger reality.
This quote by Arthur Koestler highlights the intrinsic curiosity of scientists as they attempt to uncover the truths of the universe. By describing them as 'peeping toms at the keyhole of eternity', he suggests that while their inquiries into the nature of time and existence provide limited insights, they are also participating in a profound exploration of existence, hinting at deeper mysteries that remain just out of reach.
Themes
ScienceCuriosityEternityExistenceMystery
In practice
Example use cases
This quote is perfect for a presentation on the limits of scientific inquiry.
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All quotes βHistory knows no scruples and no hesitation. Inert and unnering flows towards her goal. History knows herway. She makes no mistakes.
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Space-ships and time machines are no escape from the human condition. Let Othello subject Desdemona to a lie-detector test; his jealousy will still blind him to the evidence. Let Oedipus triumph over gravity; he won't triumph over his fate.
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The real achievement in discoveries... is seeing an analogy where no one saw one before... The essence of discovery is that unlikely marriage of cabbages and kings β of previously unrelated frames of reference or universes of discourse β whose union will solve the previously insoluble problem.
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In my youth I regarded the universe as an open book, printed in the language of equations, whereas now it appears to me as a text written in invisible ink, of which in our rare moments of grace we are able to decipher a small segment.
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