Isaac Asimov

religion - belly laugh

"One mans religion is another mans belly laugh".

—Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

knowledge wisdom science society

“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.”

― Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

Eureka - thats funny

“The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds the most discoveries, is not "Eureka!" (I found it!) but 'That's funny...”

― Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

bible atheism

“Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived.”

― Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

self-education education

“Self-education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is.”

― Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

knowledge problems ignorance

“If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.”

― Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

life chess

“In life, unlike chess, the game continues after checkmate.”

― Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

computer honest

“Part of the inhumanity of the computer is that, once it is competently programmed and working smoothly, it is completely honest.”

― Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

moral prevent doing right

“Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right.”

― Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

characteristic religion science works

“It is the chief characteristic of the religion of science that it works.”

― Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

dogma weapon dangerous

“Now any dogma, based primarily on faith and emotionalism, is a dangerous weapon to use on others, since it is almost impossible to guarantee that the weapon will never be turned on the user.”

― Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

weak emperor strong viceroy

“Weak emperors mean strong viceroys.”

― Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

think know annoyance everything

"People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do."

—Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

delight finding knowing

"The true delight is in the finding out rather than in the knowing".

—Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

library funds cut america society destroy

"When I read about the way in which library funds are being cut and cut, I can only think that American society has found one more way to destroy itself."

—Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

The Three Laws of Robotics

“The Three Laws of Robotics:

1: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm;

2: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law;

3: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law;

The Zeroth Law: A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.”

—Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

prove anything postulate axiom

“You can prove anything you want by coldly logical reason—if you pick the proper postulates.”

—Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

postulate assumption faith

“Postulates are based on assumption and adhered to by faith. Nothing in the Universe can shake them.”

—Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

emotions reasons crowd behavior

"Since emotions are few and reasons are many (said the robot Giscard) the behavior of a crowd can be more easily predicted than the behavior of one person."

—Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

anti-intellectualism ignorance knowledge

“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.’”

—Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

cardinal rule writing clear

“I made up my mind long ago to follow one cardinal rule in all my writing—to be clear. I have given up all thought of writing poetically or symbolically or experimentally, or in any of the other modes that might (if I were good enough) get me a Pulitzer prize. I would write merely clearly and in this way establish a warm relationship between myself and my readers, and the professional critics—Well, they can do whatever they wish.”

—Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

Assumptions window scrub light

"Your assumptions are your window on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in."

—Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

science art emptionintuition

"How often people speak of art and science as though they were two entirely different things, with no interconnection.

An artist is emotional, they think, and uses only his intuition; he sees all at once and has no need of reason. A scientist is cold, they think, and uses only his reason; he argues carefully step-by-step, and needs no imagination.

That is all wrong.

The true artist is quite rational as well as imaginative and knows what he is doing; if he does not, his art suffers. The true scientist is quite imaginative as well as rational, and sometimes leaps to solutions where reason can follow only slowly; if he does not, his science suffers."

—Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

creativity world disapprove

“The world in general disapproves of creativity.”

—Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

anti-intellectualism thread politics culture democracy ignorance

“The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.”

—Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)