“It is all a matter of time scale. An event that would be unthinkable in a hundred years may be inevitable in a hundred million.” YearsMayMatterWould BeMillionsEventsHundredScalesInevitableUnthinkableMatter Of Time Book:Cosmos Source: Cosmos
“Contingency is rich and fascinating; it embodies an exquisite tension between the power of individuals to modify history and the intelligible limits set by laws of nature. The details of individual and species's lives are not mere frills, without power to shape the large-scale course of events, but particulars that can alter entire futures, profoundly and forever.” LawCoursesIndividualForeverRichEventsShapesLimitsMereSpeciesDetailsScalesTensionFascinatingLaws Of NatureExquisiteLarge ScaleContingencyFrills Book:Eight little piggies: reflections in natural history Source: Eight little piggies: reflections in natural history
“Moreover, it is so important that people have the opportunity to share their stories and have them documented. There have been large-scale oral history projects after many events, from September 11th to Hurricane Katrina. Many oral history projects are much more confined, but equally valuable. We can learn about different working conditions, living conditions, trauma experiences and much more through oral history.” PeopleHas BeensImportantDifferentStoriesOpportunityShareConditionsEventsProjectsValuableTraumaScalesSeptemberConfinedHurricanesSeptember 11KatrinaLarge ScaleSeptember 11thHurricane KatrinaOral HistoryWorking ConditionsLiving Conditions Author:Patricia Leavy
“Out of politics comes more uproar than progress. It is indeed surprising how little, comparatively, this noisy department of human affairs contributes to the world's prosperity. Political commotions upon the grandest scale, political events of astounding suddenness, political characters of the greatest ability, abound, but still, permanent results are rare, and we look in vain for a measure of public good corresponding in extent to the hideous rout which ushers it in. Progress but turns upon its pillow, and goes to sleep again.” WorldHumansLooksLittlesStillsCharacterPoliticalTurnsSleepAbilityResultsProgressEventsAffairProsperityScalesVainPermanentDepartmentSurprisingPillowHideousNoisyCorrespondingPublic Good Book:Intuitions and Summaries of Thought Source: Intuitions and Summaries of Thought
“Speaking as a New Yorker, I found it (9/11 event] a shocking and terrifying event, particularly the scale of it. At bottom, it was an implacable desire to do harm to innocent people.” PeopleDesireFoundEventsBottomHarmScalesInnocentShockingNew Yorkers Author:Edward Said
“In fact, the very nature of an X-event is that it is both rare and surprising. So I would not say that any specific X-event is likely. What I would say, though, is that some X-event is not only plausible, but very likely in a time scale of a few years.” YearsFactsEventsScalesSurprisingPlausible Author:John L. Casti