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Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries

Book by Neil deGrasse Tyson · 7 quotes · Science, Ifs, Humans

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Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries Quotes

“When you're a hammer (as the saying goes), all your problems look like nails. If you're a meteorite expert pondering the sudden extinction of boatloads of species, you'll want to say an impact did it. If you're an igneous petrologist, volcanoes did it. If you're into spaceborne bioclouds, an interstellar virus did it. If you're a hypernova expert, gamma rays did it.”

IfsWantLooksProblemImpactSpeciesExpertsRaysNailsExtinctionHammersVirusesPonderingVolcanoesInterstellarGamma Rays
Book:Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries
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“In any case, the leading edge of our "on purpose" radio signals is 30 light-years away and, if intercepted, may mend the aliens' image of us based on the radio bubble of our television shows. But this will happen only if the aliens can somehow determine which type of signal comes closer to the truth of who we are, and what our cosmic identity deserves to be.”

IfsYearsMayShowsLightHappensPurposeCasesIdentityTelevisionTypeDeserveEdgesDetermineRadioAliensWho We AreCosmicBubblesSignalsTelevision ShowsLight Years
Book:Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries
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“If an alien lands on your front lawn and extends an appendage as a gesture of greeting, before you get friendly, toss it an eightball. If the appendage explodes, then the alien was probably made of antimatter. If not, then you can proceed to take it to your leader.”

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“And I don't care what else anyone has ever told you, the Sun is white, not yellow. Human color perception is a complicated business, but if the Sun were yellow, like a yellow lightbulb, then white stuff such as snow would reflect this light and appear yellow-a snow condition confirmed to happen only near fire hydrants.”

IfsHumansLightHappensCareScienceStuffWhiteSunFireConditionsColorPerceptionDon't CareComplicatedSnowI Don't CareYellowLiteracyScience Literacy
Book:Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries
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“Last I checked, Bill Gates was worth $50 billion. If the average employed adult, who is walking in a hurry, will pick up a quarter from the sidewalk, but not a dime, then the corresponding amount of money given their relative wealth that Bill Gates would ignore if he saw it lying on the street is $25,000.”

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Book:Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries
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