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
I would prefer to stay up and watch the stars than sleep.
Interpretation
The quote expresses a preference for experiencing the beauty of the stars over the mundane act of sleeping.
Vera Rubin's quote reflects a deep appreciation for the wonders of the universe, suggesting that some experiences, like gazing at the stars, are so captivating that they take precedence over basic human needs like sleep. It speaks to the idea of valuing awe and exploration over comfort, emphasizing how the beauty of nature can inspire a sense of wonder that keeps us awake and engaged with the world around us.
In practice
During a night out camping, I shared this quote to inspire my friends to appreciate the beauty of the night sky.
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.
We need senators who have studied physics and representatives who understand ecology.
Nobody ever told us all matter radiated. We just assumed it did.
There was just nothing as interesting in my life as watching the stars every night.
I try to do my science in a moral way, and, I believe that, ideally, science should be looked upon as something that helps us understand our role in the universe.
I had the usual friends who pointed out constellations of stars. But it really was watching the stars. It was getting some sense of the motion of the earth. I found it a remarkable thing.
When I first ventured into the Gulf of Mexico in the 1950s, the sea appeared to be a blue infinity too large, too wild to be harmed by anything that people could do.
The responses that environmentalists evoke - fear, anxiety, numbness, despair - are not helpful, even if they are understandable. It should be fascinating, even enthralling, to be in the milieu of environmental change.
If surface water can be compared with interest income, and non-renewable groundwater with capital, then much of the West was living mainly on interest income. California was milking interest and capital in about equal proportion. The plains states, however, were devouring capital as a gang of spendthrift heirs might squander a great capitalist's fortune.
Each new year is a surprise to us. We find that we had virtually forgotten the note of each bird, and when we hear it again, it is remembered like a dream, reminding us of a previous state of existence. How happens it that the associations it awakens are always pleasing, never saddening, reminiscences of our sanest hours. The voice of nature is always encouraging.
The environment is where we all meet; where all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.
The most irrevocable of [natures] laws says that a species cannot occupy a niche that appropriates all resources--there has to be some sharing. Any species that ignores this law winds up destroying its community to support its own expansion.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.