Doing what has never been done before is intellectually seductive, whether or not we deem it practical.
Interpretation
Exploring the unknown is appealing, regardless of its practicality.
This quote by Neil Degrasse Tyson highlights the allure of venturing into uncharted territories of thought and action. It suggests that the pursuit of innovation and originality can be a powerful motivator, even when the practicality of those endeavors is questionable. The intellectual seduction lies in the excitement of discovery and creativity, encouraging individuals to push boundaries and explore possibilities that have not been realized before.
In practice
In a speech to young innovators about the importance of taking risks.
The problem is that many people operate on the assumption that NASA should go to Congress every year with hat in hand and justify it every year. Well, I see it as the greatest economic driver that there ever was. Economic drivers don't need justification.
The press still thinks [global warming] is controversial. So they find the 1% of the scientists and put them up as if they're 50% of the research results. You in the public would have no idea that this is basically a done deal and that we're on to other problems, because the journalists are trying to give it a 50/50 story. It's not a 50/50 story. It's not. Period.
As a scientist, I want to go to Mars and back to asteroids and the Moon because I'm a scientist. But I can tell you, I'm not so naive a scientist to think that the nation might not have geopolitical reasons for going into space.
In just one year, the expenditure of of the U.S.'s military budget is equivalent to the entire 50-year running budget of NASA combined.
One of my great laments is that education today seems to have... be less about passion and more about process, more about tactic or technique.
Lots of people think, well, we're humans; we're the most intelligent and accomplished species; we're in charge. Bacteria may have a different outlook: more bacteria live and work in one linear centimeter of your lower colon than all the humans who have ever lived. That's what's going on in your digestive tract right now. Are we in charge, or are we simply hosts for bacteria? It all depends on your outlook.
If God treats you well by teaching you a disastrous lesson, you never forget it.
I'm trying to learn the lessons of the past, but not to make speeches about the past.
Never underestimate the power of jealousy and the power of envy to destroy. Never underestimate that.
Fortunately, or unforunately for me, I am always at my best when I am unhampered: when I can let myself go and have a little fun.
With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose.
Class is an aura of confidence that is being sure without being cocky. Class has nothing to do with money. Class never runs scared. It is self-discipline and self-knowledge. It's the sure-footedness that comes with having proved you can meet life.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.