There was no "before" the beginning of our universe, because once upon a time there was no time.
John D. BarrowRead
There are only certain intervals of time when life of any sort is possible in an expanding universe and we can practise astronomy only during that habitable time interval in cosmic history.
Interpretation
Life and the ability to practice astronomy are limited to specific periods in the vastness of the universe.
This quote by John D. Barrow reflects on the transient nature of life and knowledge within the grand scope of the universe. It suggests that in an expanding universe, there are only specific time intervals during which life can exist and meaningful knowledge like astronomy can be pursued, emphasizing the preciousness of time and existence in the cosmos.
In practice
In a lecture on the importance of space exploration, this quote can illustrate the significance of our time on Earth.
There was no "before" the beginning of our universe, because once upon a time there was no time.
To invoke the origin of the DNA/protein machine by invoking a supernatural Designer is to explain precisely nothing - for it leaves unexplained the origin of the Designer.
Science is the topography of ignorance.
The progress of Science consists in observing interconnections and in showing with a patient ingenuity that the events of this ever-shifting world are but examples of a few general relations, called laws. To see what is general in what is particular, and what is permanent in what is transitory, is the aim of scientific thought.
I dug things up. I was curious. I liked to draw what I found.
When asked ... [about] an underlying quantum world, Bohr would answer, 'There is no quantum world. There is only an abstract quantum physical description. It is wrong to think that the task of physics is to find out how nature is. Physics concerns what we can say about Nature.'
You're never going to get the amount of CO2 emitted to go down unless you deal with the one magic metric, which is CO2 per kilowatt-hour.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.