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“We are children of chaos, and the deep structure of change is decay. At root, there is only corruption, and the unstemmable tide of chaos. Gone is purpose; all that is left is direction. This is the bleakness we have to accept as we peer deeply and dispassionately into the heart of the Universe.”
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“The emergence of consciousness, like the unfolding of a leaf, relies upon restraint.”
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“All change...arises from an underlying collapse into chaos...what may appear to us to be motive and purpose is in fact ultimately motiveless, purposeless decay.”
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“Four basic principle
1. Do what you think is right
2. Don’t follow other people blindly
3. Be honest and keep your word
4. Admit your mistakes”
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1. Do what you think is right
2. Don’t follow other people blindly
3. Be honest and keep your word
4. Admit your mistakes”
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“Life, at root, is molecular bumbling.”
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“If I’d had more
time I would have written a shorter letter”
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time I would have written a shorter letter”
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“Without chorophyll, the world would be a damp warm rock instead of the softly green haven of life that we know, for chlorphyll holds its magnesium eye to the sun and captures the energy of sunlight, in the first step of photosynthesis. For reasons we shall explore, magnesium has exactly the right features to make this process possible. Had the kingdom lacked this element, chlorophyll;’s eye would have been blind, phtosynthesis would not take place, and life as we know it would not exist.”
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“Through Boltzmann's eyes we can n ow see that in every case the direction of spontaneous change, the 'arrow of time', is the direction in which disorder is increasing. The universe is simply crumbling, but such is the interconnectedness of events that the crumbling generates local artefacts of great complexity, such as you and me.”
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“None of these quotes are by me. Except this one.
(All the others are by noted chemist and atheist Peter Atkins - or, as I like to call him, The Other Peter Atkins. I don't know how they got here. I'd say it was evidence of God's sense of humor, but I don't want to offend The Other Peter Atkins.)”
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(All the others are by noted chemist and atheist Peter Atkins - or, as I like to call him, The Other Peter Atkins. I don't know how they got here. I'd say it was evidence of God's sense of humor, but I don't want to offend The Other Peter Atkins.)”
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