A scientist is as weak and human as any man, but the pursuit of science may ennoble him even against his will. Isaac Asimov More Quotes by Isaac Asimov More Quotes From Isaac Asimov Writing is a lonely job. Even if a writer socializes regularly, when he gets down to the real business of his life, it is he and his type writer or word processor. No one else is or can be involved in the matter. Isaac Asimov lonely real jobs It has always been my ambition to die in harness with my head face down on a keyboard and my nose caught between two of the keys. Isaac Asimov keys ambition two The downtrodden are more religious than the satisfied. Isaac Asimov downtrodden religious religion However much the creationist leaders might hammer away at their scientific and philosophical points, they would be helpless and a laughing-stock if that were all they had. It is religion that recruits their squadrons. Tens of millions of Americans, who neither know nor understand the actual arguments for - of even against - evolution, march in the army of the night, their Bibles held high. And they are a strong and frightening force, impervious to, and immunized against, the feeble lance of mere reason. Isaac Asimov philosophical army strong I was once being interviewed by Barbara Walters. In between two of the segments she asked me: "But what would you do if the doctor gave you only six months to live?" I said, "Type faster." This was widely quoted, but the "six months" was changed to "six minutes," which bothered me. It's "six months." Isaac Asimov six-months doctors two All life is nucleic acid; the rest is commentary. Isaac Asimov acid commentary life-is The vast majority, who believe in astrology and think that the planets have nothing better to do than form a code that will tell them whether tomorrow is a good day to close a business deal or not, become all the more excited and enthusiastic. Isaac Asimov good-day believe thinking The peace and joy of the Christmas season was marred by a proclamation of a general strike of all the military forces of the world. Panic reigns in the hearts of all the patriots of every persuasion. Meanwhile, fears of universal disaster sank to an all-time low over the world. Isaac Asimov military fear peace Every human being lived behind an impenetrable wall of choking mist within which no other but he existed. Occasionally there were the dim signals from deep within the cavern in which another man was located so that each might grope toward the other. Yet because they did not know one another, and could not understand one another, and dared not trust one another, and felt from infancy the terrors and insecurity of that ultimate isolation there was the hunted fear of man for man, the savage rapacity of man toward man. Isaac Asimov insecurity wall men Flattery is useful when dealing with youngsters. Isaac Asimov youngsters flattery University President: Why is it that you physicists always require so much expensive equipment? Now the Department of Mathematics requires nothing but money for paper, pencils, and erasers . . . and the Department of Philosophy is better still. It doesn't even ask for erasers. Isaac Asimov money president philosophy An atom-blaster is a good weapon, but it can point both ways. Isaac Asimov atoms weapons way Computerization eliminates the middleman Isaac Asimov middlemen And [Asimov]'ll sign anything, hardbacks, softbacks, other people's books, scraps of paper. Inevitably someone handed him a blank check on the occasion when I was there, and he signed that without as much as a waver to his smile — except that he signed: 'Harlan Ellison. Isaac Asimov paper book people During the century after Newton, it was still possible for a man of unusual attainments to master all fields of scientific knowledge. But by 1800, this had become entirely impracticable. Isaac Asimov men science knowledge It seems to me, Golan, that the advance of civilization is nothing but an exercise in the limiting of privacy. Isaac Asimov privacy exercise civilization Finished products are for decadent minds. Isaac Asimov finished products mind One might accept death reasoningly, with every aspect of the conscious mind, but the body was a brute beast that knew nothing of reason. Isaac Asimov body mind might Where is the world whose people don't prefer a comfortable, warm, and well-worn belief, however illogical, to the chilly winds of uncertainty. Isaac Asimov wind people world The Master created humans first as the lowest type, most easily formed. Gradually, he replaced them by robots, the next higher step, and finally he created me, to take the place of the last humans. Isaac Asimov robots lasts steps