The universe is so immense that it appears immutable, and that the duration of a planet such as that of the earth is only a chapter, less than that, a phrase, less still, only a word of the universe’s history.
Camille FlammarionRead
What, then, is this blue sky, which certainly does exist, and which veils from us the stars during the day?
Interpretation
The quote reflects on the nature of the blue sky and its obscuring effect on the stars we cannot see during the day.
Camille Flammarion's quote invites us to ponder the beauty and mystery of the blue sky that dominates our daytime experience, while also reminding us of the stars hidden behind it. The statement hints at the idea that there are wonders and truths that exist beyond our immediate perception, encouraging us to look beyond the surface and seek deeper understanding of the universe.
In practice
During a discussion about astronomy, one might use this quote to evoke curiosity about what lies beyond our everyday view.
The universe is so immense that it appears immutable, and that the duration of a planet such as that of the earth is only a chapter, less than that, a phrase, less still, only a word of the universe’s history.
You'll often hear the phrase "science doesn't know everything." Well, of course it doesn't know everything. But just because science doesn't know everything doesn't mean that it knows nothing.
Very few recognize science as the high adventure it really is, the wildest of all explorations ever taken by human beings, the chance to glimpse things never seen before, the shrewdest maneuver for discovering how the world works.
Everyone is trying to jump on the biomimic bandwagon. But a cork floor is not biomimicry. Neither is using bacteria to clean water.
The fact that you can remember yesterday but not tomorrow is because of entropy. The fact that you're always born young and then you grow older, and not the other way around like Benjamin Button - it's all because of entropy. So I think that entropy is underappreciated as something that has a crucial role in how we go through life.
The work on ants has profoundly affected the way I think about humans.
The problem with data is that it says a lot, but it also says nothing. 'Big data' is terrific, but it's usually thin. To understand why something is happening, we have to engage in both forensics and guess work.
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