“It's the old idea that the process of evolution is some push in the direction of greater complexity--in particular greater intellectual complexity. In one twig of the tree of life, namely ours, having a big brain happened to have advantages. But that's just what worked for a particular species of primate 5 to 7 million years ago.” YearsIdeasBigsProcessBrainMillionsGreaterHappenedTreeParticularEvolutionIntellectualAdvantageYears AgoSpeciesComplexityTree Of LifePrimatesTwigsOld Ideas Author:Steven Pinker
“Now familiar with my own particular voice and accent, my Dragon app prints out exactly what I speak into my iPad. Twenty years ago this miracle would be unthinkable.” YearsWould BeSpeakVoiceMy OwnTechnologyParticularYears AgoMiracleTwentiesFamiliarDragonsPrintAccentsUnthinkableAppsIpads Author:Robert Genn
“The problem here is that a civilization that is 1,000 light years away doesn't know we exist. They don't know that we have radio telescopes here on Earth because they see Earth as it was 1,000 years ago. Nothing can travel faster than light, so however good their instruments they can't see in affect the future. So there is no particular reason they should be sending us messages at this time.” KnowsShouldYearsReasonProblemLightEarthParticularCivilizationMessagesYears AgoInstrumentsRadioFasterTelescopesLight Years Author:Paul Davies
“You know, when I was in college, there was a big debate: Do unions raise wages? Well, with regard to industrial unions, there were arguments back and forth -- international competition. It is now clear, I think, that whether or not you think unions raised wages 50 years ago, the absence of unions and their weakness that is inflicted by anti-union public policy depresses wages. The fact is that people who are not represented, in the service industries in particular, are the victims of policies which depress their wages.” PeopleThinkingKnowsYearsWellsFactsBigsClearPolicyCollegeParticularIndustryWeaknessYears AgoArgumentRegardRaisesVictimCompetitionUnionsRaisedInternationalAbsenceDebateDepressingWagesBack And ForthPublic PolicyService Industry Author:Barney Frank
“Comedy today is not what it was years ago. It's always changing, in particular to female comics. No longer are certain subjects considered to be a male preserve. Women can talk about sexuality and their bodily functions and it can be very, very entertaining. It's changed the impact of comedy acting.” YearsTodayCertainActingComedySubjectsChangedParticularFemaleYears AgoFunctionImpactMalesSexualityPreservesEntertainingBodily Functions Author:Patrick Stewart
“Years ago, you never concerned yourself with pitch counts. Now, with statistics telling you that between this number and that number bad things happen to this particular pitcher, you have to pay attention to it. The bullpen has become a huge part of what happens now.” YearsHappensNumbersPayAttentionParticularHugeConcernedYears AgoThings HappenPay AttentionStatisticsBad ThingsPitcherBad Things Happen Author:Joe Torre
“Whatever happened billions of years ago, that's what were we come from. For people who have hate and anger towards each other just because they've been socially conformed or socially... conditioned to their particular country, doesn't mean that you're not like everyone else in the rest of the world and doesn't mean you should go around hating everybody.” PeopleWorldShouldYearsMeanCountryHateHappenedParticularYears AgoBillions Author:Cristian Machado
“It's different now but I enjoy it more than I did then. I think I appreciate it more now and I love playing acoustically. This is the way I started. Herb and I met each other forty years ago when we were both eighteen years old, playing bluegrass, and that's what drew me into music, and I enjoyed every particular part of my career. But now I enjoy it because it's the twilight of my career, where I can play what I want and I can play when I want and where I want. And that's the greatest part it all. So it's sort of a right that I've earned. I can record records the way I want to.” ThinkingWayWantYearsI CanDifferentPlayEnjoyCareersRecordsParticularMetsYears AgoAppreciateEnjoyedFortyTwilightHerbsEighteenBluegrassEighteen Years Old Author:Chris Hillman
“In the media, a reviewer has his personal vision but it's passed along to a million readers or whatever. He might think that this particular song sounds like Jo Blow. Or like a Bo Diddley record that he heard six years ago. But the artist who made the record may never have even heard the Bo Diddley song. We all respond differently.” ThinkingYearsMayMadeMightArtistSongSoundVisionMillionsRecordsHeardMediaParticularReaderSixYears AgoBlowReviewersPersonal Vision Author:Van Morrison
“I felt that the world, and in particular this country, were going in circles. What had happened 40 or 50 years ago was happening again, but even in a worse form - that we were sinking into a lot of ignorance and a lot of superficial change.” WorldYearsCountryFormFeltHappenedIgnoranceParticularHappeningsYears AgoCirclesSuperficialSinkingHappening Again Author:Raoul Peck
“Many years ago, in the late '70s, I toured colleges along the East Coast and I presented a kind of show where I got a lot of books and poetry and pieces of [William] Shakespeare and other writers that I admire, read it to the class and then afterward we would talk and I would answer questions. It was really a way of expressing and finding out about where I was at that particular time, so it was very therapeutic for me.” WayYearsKindBookShowsAnswersClassPiecesCollegeParticularFindingsLateYears AgoEastAdmireCoastTherapeuticEast Coast Author:Al Pacino
“I‟m going to kill her,” Francesca said to no one in particular. Which was probably a good thing, as there was no one else present. “Who are you talking to?” Hyacinth demanded. “God,” Francesca said baldly. “And I do believe I have been given divine leave to murder you.” “Hmmph,” was Hyacinth‟s response. “If it was that easy, I‟d have asked permission to eliminate half the ton years ago.” Francesca decided just then that not all of Hyacinth‟s statements required a rejoinder. In fact, few of them did.” IfsYearsBelieveHas BeensSaidFactsGivenEasyHalfTalkingDivineParticularYears AgoDecidedMurderGood ThingsResponseStatementsPermissionHyacinths Author:Julia Quinn
“Some years ago - never mind how long precisely - having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world.” WorldInspirationalYearsMindLittlesLongFunnyInterestParticularYears AgoBoatShoreSailSailingPursesNo MoneyNauticalSailing And The SeaBoats And Sailing Book:Moby-Dick Source: Moby-Dick
“It's hard to compare. Different times, different players. The administration four years ago did not have 9/11. I could tell you this; this particular administration was better suited to handle that than the former.” YearsDifferentHardFourPlayerParticularYears AgoHandleFormerAdministrationCompareHard TimesFour YearsDifferent Times Author:Montel Williams
“Many years ago I remember a famous actress explaining to me with perfect seriousness that before making an entrance she always stood aside to allow God to go on first. I can also remember that on that particular occasion He gave a singularly uninspired performance.” YearsFirstsI CanFunnyRememberActorsPerfectActingParticularGoes OnHumorousYears AgoPerformancesActressesTheatreOccasionsExplainingSeriousnessEntrancesUninspiredFamous Actress Author:Noel Coward