This Idea Must Die Quotes

“Plus, where would the universe retire to? Florida isn’t big enough.”
― John Brockman, This Idea Must Die: Scientific Theories That Are Blocking Progress

“is likely to survive for another 100 billion years or more.”
― John Brockman, This Idea Must Die: Scientific Theories That Are Blocking Progress

“The universe has been around for 13.8 billion years and”
― John Brockman, This Idea Must Die: Scientific Theories That Are Blocking Progress

“new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.”
― John Brockman, This Idea Must Die: Scientific Theories That Are Blocking Progress

“As a final insult to unity, the laws of quantum mechanics indicate that the universe is continually splitting into multiple histories, or “many worlds,” out of which the world we experience is only one. The other worlds contain the events that didn’t happen in our world.”
― John Brockman, This Idea Must Die: Scientific Theories That Are Blocking Progress

“What is the universe, anyway? To test your knowledge of the universe, please complete the following sentence. The universe (a)   consists of all things visible and invisible—what is, has been, and will be. (b)   began 13.8 billion years ago in a giant explosion called the Big Bang and encompasses all planets, stars, galaxies, space, and time. (c)   was licked out of the salty rim of the primordial fiery pit by the tongue of a giant cow. (d)   All of the above. (Correct answer below.)”
― John Brockman, This Idea Must Die: Scientific Theories That Are Blocking Progress

“The story emerging from these studies is not yet complete, but it has already led to fascinating insights. Thanks to its microbes, a baby can better digest its mother’s milk. And your ability to digest carbohydrates relies to a significant extent on enzymes that can be made only by genes present not in you but in your microbiome.”
― John Brockman, This Idea Must Die: Scientific Theories That Are Blocking Progress