A few years ago, I picked up a book on number theory, since it's a field of Mathematics that has occasionally fascinated me, and I was looking for something fun and relaxing to read (because that's just the kind of pathetic nerd I am, reading math books for fun and relaxation). Anyway, I was reading along, relaxing and enjoying myself, when suddenly, in the middle of the book (An Adventurer's Guide to Number Theory, by Richard Friedberg; page 84, to be exact), a quote jumped off the page at me. Now, as fun and/or relaxing as a good math book can be, I don't generally read them because they're just so doggone quotable; but whatchagonnado? See if you don't agree that, even coming from a math book, this is pretty good -
"Every advance may bring a loss.
When people have electric lamps, they may forget how to build a fire.
When they have automobiles, they may forget how to ride a horse.
When they have weapons, they may forget how to make friends,
and when they have money, they may forget how to pray."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I didn't expect that from a math book! Maybe "if they have a calculator, they may forget to add," but the friends and prayer are surprising.
ReplyDeleteI know, right?
DeleteReminds me of my favorite quote from "Inherit The Wind"
ReplyDeleteProgress has never been a bargain. You have to pay for it.
Henry Drummond: Sometimes I think there's a man who sits behind a counter and says, "All right, you can have a telephone but you lose privacy and the charm of distance.
Henry Drummond: Madam, you may vote but at a price. You lose the right to retreat behind the powder puff or your petticoat.
Henry Drummond: Mister, you may conquer the air but the birds will lose their wonder and the clouds will smell of gasoline."
Definitely similar lines of thought. . .
DeleteI agree: definitely a "quotable quote," regardless of the source.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, I've never had that much money. . .
Delete;)
An excellent quote and a reminder to think ahead as best we can..
ReplyDeleteI think it's just the natural way things go.
DeleteA few years ago, I went on a father-son winter retreat with a couple of my sons, at a retreat center that had no electricity, and wood heat. When the sun went down, it was candle- and lantern-light. Even the chandeliers in the chapel were oil lamps; we had to lower 'em on ropes in order to light 'em for vespers. . . I can't begin to tell you how cool that was. . .
I'm always fascinated when I encounter Amish, or people like that, whose lives still include the old 'horse culture', that I've never had any clue of. . .
Dear Desmond (Craig) - Just wanting to say hi and glad to see you're doing well - Emily from Emily's Post (blast from the past) xox
ReplyDeleteEm! Good to see you here! Thanks so much for dropping by! I trust things are generally well with you?
DeleteHeck, it seems, in honor of you, I even commented from my old Blogger ID. . .
Delete;)
yep, never would have expected that out of a math book. was it preceded by mourning the death of a slide rule or something?
ReplyDeleteThe immediate context was a discussion of how the ancients didn't have a concept of negative numbers - such things were simply 'impossible' - and so they devised some extremely clever ways of solving problems so as to avoid getting negative answers. Once the medievals had negative numbers in their tool box, they didn't have to be quite so clever anymore. . .
DeleteAnd slide rules? Heck, abacuses! (abaci?)
After my dad retired, he gave me his slide rule, which I have always treasured, since I was in just about the last class that was actually taught slide rule in high school. . .
Interesting quote considering a story i read about toyota. Seems they're getting rid of some robots and hiring more people to work the assemble lines because with fewer people involved comes less innovation. efficiency and cost cutting is not always progress
ReplyDeleteI love it. . .
DeleteYeah, those robots are really precise, and strong, and virtually tireless. . . but not so clever. . .
I feel honored .... everyone else got Desmond but lime and I got The Craig ...
DeleteQuite profound for a math geek!!
ReplyDeleteSee, that's what I thought. . .
DeleteThanks for stopping in to say 'hi', G. . .
That's a good one, for sure.
ReplyDeleteDid I ever tell you how much we enjoyed the soup? It was delicious! I would have offered you a chance to get even via Wings - B's, but that would probably be unfair of me :-)
Well, seein' as to how it's already 1-0 in our favor, I'd hate to take advantage of you like that. . .
DeleteBut you know, if you want to send us a quart of clam chowder, you can do so any time. . .
;)