Letters from an Astrophysicist

Thanks for sharing your ardent concerns, but I remain convinced of Shakespeare’s aphorism:

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

I think we should all work hard to ensure that substance matters more than labels—that’s the society I strive to live in.

Discovery and exploration got us out of the caves and each generation benefits from what previous generations have learned. Isaac Newton said, “If I have seen farther than others it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” So that’s right, B.o.B., when you stand on the shoulders of those who came before, you might just see far enough to realize the earth isn’t f%@#king flat.

And by the way, this is called gravity. . . .

<< Mic Drop >>

Personally, I try to spend twice as much time to make things half as long.

list . . .

1.The Bible

“ . . . to learn that it’s easier to be told by others what to think and believe than it is to think for yourself”

2.The System of the World by Isaac Newton

“ . . . to learn that the universe is a knowable place.”

3.On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin

“ . . . to learn of our kinship with all other life on Earth.”

4.Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

“ . . . to learn, among other satirical lessons, that most of the time humans are Yahoos.”

5.The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine

“ . . . to learn how the power of rational thought is the primary source of freedom in the world.”

6.The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith

“ . . . to learn that capitalism is an economy of greed, a force of nature unto itself.”

7.The Art of War by Sun Tzu

“ . . . to learn that the act of killing fellow humans can be raised to an art.”

8.The Prince by Machiavelli

“ . . . to learn that people not in power will do all they can to acquire it, and people in power will do all they can to keep it.”