I, too, am convinced that our ancestors came from Africa.
Richard LeakeyRead
We are concerned that, in a few years time, this place of discovery, with its wealth of human fossils, the like of which can be found nowhere else in the world, could be completely destroyed.
Interpretation
The quote expresses concern about the preservation of a unique archaeological site rich in human fossils.
Richard Leakey highlights the importance of preserving sites rich in human history and fossils, warning that neglect or destruction could lead to the loss of invaluable discoveries. The quote reflects a broader concern for environmental conservation and the safeguarding of our heritage for future generations.
In practice
Use this quote during a speech at a conservation fundraiser.
I, too, am convinced that our ancestors came from Africa.
For three million years we were hunter-gatherers, and it was through the evolutionary pressures of that way of life that a brain so adaptable and so creative eventually emerged. Today we stand with the brains of hunter-gatherers in our heads, looking out on a modern world made comfortable for some by the fruits of human inventiveness, and made miserable for others by the scandal of deprivation in the midst of plenty.
To have arrived on this earth as a product of a biological accident, only to depart through human arrogance, would be the ultimate irony.
Earlier, 100,000 elephants lived in Kenya and we didn't have any noteworthy problem with it. The problem that we have is not that there are now more elephants.
Researchers have found that the brain definitely sends nerves directly to organs of the immune system and not just to the heart and the lower gut. In that way, too, the brain is influencing the body.
The best scientist is open to experience and begins with romance - the idea that anything is possible.
Whether it is to reduce our carbon-dioxide emissions or to prepare for when the coal and oil run out, we have to continue to seek out new energy sources.
People often ask me why I persisted in doing research on a subject that was so controversial. I frequently respond by telling them that only a few scientists are granted the great fortune to pursue topics that are so new and different that only a small number of people can grasp the meaning of such discoveries initially.
It was about three o'clock at night when the final result of the calculation [which gave birth to quantum mechanics] lay before me ... At first I was deeply shaken ... I was so excited that I could not think of sleep. So I left the house ... and awaited the sunrise on top of a rock.
People have always asked whether evolution is constantly driving onwards and upwards. Is there always going to be improvement? The answer is no: evolution is a progression of form and function, but it is not purposeful.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.