To see some truths you must stand outside and look in. Janna Levin More Quotes by Janna Levin More Quotes From Janna Levin The simpler the insight, the more profound the conclusion. Janna Levin conclusion insight profound Forever is a very long time, especially the bit towards the end. Janna Levin humor funny long There are faint stars in the night sky that you can see, but only if you look to the side of where they shine. They burn too weakly or are too far away to be seen directly, even if you stare. But you can see them out of the corner of your eye because the cells on the periphery of your retina are more sensitive to light. Maybe truth is just like that. You can see it, but only out of the corner of your eye. Janna Levin stars eye night What we see of the universe is vast. We know that the universe is something like 90 billion light-years across. Janna Levin billions light years I think there's a certain lyricism in the telling of a scientific story. Janna Levin certain stories thinking I don't believe that math and nature respond to democracy. Just because very clever people have rejected the role of the infinite, their collective opinions, however weighty, won't persuade mother nature to alter her ways. Nature is never wrong. Janna Levin mother clever believe It would be kind of magical if we were just happening to be able to see right to some boundary and then something crazy happened beyond that, like galaxies ceased to exist. I mean, that just seems nuts. Janna Levin crazy nuts mean Sam Harris fearlessly describes a moral and intellectual emergency precipitated by religious fantasies--misguided beliefs that create suffering, that rationalize violence, that have endangered our nation and our future. His argument for the morality, the honesty, and the humility of atheism is galvanizing. It is a relief that someone has spoken so frankly, with such passion yet such rationality. Now when the subject arises, as it inevitably does, I can simply say: Read Sam Harris’ Letter to a Christian Nation. Janna Levin honesty religious christian Topology and number theory are my faves. Janna Levin topology theory numbers We have never observed infinity in nature. Whenever you have infinities in a theory, that's where the theory fails as a description of nature. And if space was born in the Big Bang, yet is infinite now, we are forced to believe that it's instantaneously, infinitely big. It seems absurd. Janna Levin you space nature believe Black holes can bang against space-time as mallets on a drum and have a very characteristic song. Janna Levin drum against black song Ambiguity is very interesting in writing; it's not very interesting in science. Janna Levin very writing science interesting I would say the connection between art and science is very tenuous for me. It's just that I'm interested in both. I don't think that my interest in art affects the kind of science that I do. Janna Levin think me science art The Earth isn't an infinite sheet that carries on for ever, but it doesn't have an edge, either. It's compact and connected. Janna Levin edge infinite connected earth I'd like to convince you that the universe has a soundtrack and that soundtrack is played on space itself, because space can wobble like a drum. Janna Levin like you universe space Now, our Sun will not collapse to a black hole. It's actually not massive enough. Janna Levin will black enough sun We have to wonder, if there is a multiverse, in some other patch of that multiverse are there creatures? Janna Levin other some creatures wonder
