I was raised with the idea that if you're not smart enough to do science you can do politics. Michael Crichton More Quotes by Michael Crichton More Quotes From Michael Crichton One of the most difficult features of direct experience is that it is unfiltered by any theories or expectations. It's hard to observe without imposing a theory to explain what we're seeing, but the trouble with theories, as Einstein said, is that they explain not only what is observed, but what can be observed. We start to build expectations based on our theories. Michael Crichton theorytroubleexpectations God created dinosaurs. God destroyed dinosaurs. God created Man. Man destroyed God. Man created dinosaurs. Dinosaurs eat man...Woman inherits the earth. Michael Crichton dinosaursearthmen Harassment is about power---the undue exercise of power by a superior over a subordinate. Michael Crichton harassmentsubordinatesexercise Finally, I would remind you to notice where the claim of consensus is invoked. Consensus is invoked only in situations where the science is not solid enough. Nobody says the consensus of scientists agrees that E=mc2. Nobody says the consensus is that the sun is 93 million miles away. It would never occur to anyone to speak that way. Michael Crichton global-warmingsunway This fascination with computer models is something I understand very well. Richard Feynmann called it a disease. I fear he is right. Michael Crichton fascinationcomputerdisease Nobody dares to solve the problems-because the solution might contradict your philosophy, and for most people clinging to beliefs is more important than succeeding in the world. Michael Crichton importantphilosophypeople Although knowledge of how things work is sufficient to allow manipulation of nature, what humans really want to know is why things work. Children don't ask how the sky is blue. They ask why the sky is blue. Michael Crichton skybluechildren Science is nothing more than a method of inquiry. The method says an assertion is valid - and will be universally accepted - only if it can be reproduced by others, and thereby independently verified. The impersonal rigor of the method has produced enormously powerful results for 400 years. The scientific method is utterly apolitical. A truth in science is verifiable whether you are black or white, male or female, old or young. It’s verifiable whether you know the experimenter, or whether you don’t. Michael Crichton acceptancewhitemean We think we know what we are doing. We have always thought so. We never seem to acknowledge that we have been wrong in the past, and so might be wrong in the future. Instead, each generation writes off earlier errors as the result of bad thinking by less able minds - and then confidently embarks on fresh errors of its own. Michael Crichton writingpastthinking We cause our diseases. We are directly responsible for any illness that happens to us. Michael Crichton illnessdiseasecauses Anyone who says he knows God's intention is showing a lot of very human ego. Michael Crichton intentionegointegrity We all live every day in virtual environments, defined by our ideas. Michael Crichton live-every-dayenvironmentideas To give up responsibility for our lives is not healthy. Michael Crichton giving-uphealthyresponsibility Although personally, I think cyberspace means the end of our species. Michael Crichton cyberspacemeanthinking It takes enormous effort to avoid all theories and just see. Michael Crichton enormousefforttheory Do you want to understand how to swim, or do you want to jump in and start swimming? Only people who are afraid of the water want to understand it. Other people jump in and get wet. Michael Crichton swimmingwaterpeople Whatever it is you seek, you have to put in the time, the practice, the effort. You must give up a lot to get it. It has to be very important to you. And once you have attained it, it is your power. It can't be given away : it resides in you. It is literally the result of your discipline. Michael Crichton disciplinegiving-uppractice And entertainment has nothing to do with reality. Entertainment is antithetical to reality. Michael Crichton entertainmentreality In other centuries, human beings wanted to be saved, or improved, or freed, or educated. But in our century, they want to be entertained. The great fear is not of disease or death, but of boredom. A sense of time on our hands, a sense of nothing to do. A sense that we are not amused. Michael Crichton boredomdiseasehands All your life people will tell you things. And most of the time, probably ninety-five percent of the time, what they'll tell you will be wrong. Michael Crichton ninetylifepeople
