Quote of the Day for 2016-07-12

"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority."

— E.B. White (1899-1985) "Coon Tree," The New Yorker (June 14, 1956)

Relief from the Ara Pacis (9 BCE) depicting the goddess Tellus Mater (Mother Earth) flanked by the Aurae (Peaceful Breezes) of sea and land

Quote of the Day for 2016-05-02

"Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are part of nature and therefore part of the mystery that we are trying to solve."

— Max Planck (1858-1947) "Epilogue: A Socratic Dialogue," Where is Science Going? (1932)

Hand with Reflecting Sphere by M.C. Escher (January 1935)

Quote of the Day for 2015-08-11

"The whole secret of the study of nature lies in learning how to use one's eyes."

— George Sand (1804-1876) Letter to Juliette Lambert-Adam, April 7, 1868

Translation: Which animals are most like each other? – Rabbit and Duck.

Uncredited illustration from Fliegende Blätter, issue #2645 (October 23, 1892).

"What were ducks in the scientist's world before the revolution are rabbits afterwards."

– Thomas Kuhn (1922-1996) The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, chapter 10.