7459 quotes by scientists for you to enjoy

We were very surprised to find out that Pluto is still geologically alive. It has upended our ideas of how planetary geophysics works. Alan Stern

Our Alive Out Find Pluto Ideas How Still Were Surprised Very Planetary Works

I think when people see Pluto revealed by New Horizons, its satellite system, its complex surface, its atmosphere, I think they'll have a hard time saying 'That's not a planet' because it obviously will be, and I think most people are already coming to that opinion anyway, but I think that's really going to drive it home viscerally. Alan Stern

Saying Time Home People Will Drive Think Complex System Horizons See Atmosphere Pluto New Most Obviously Because Opinion Revealed Surface Coming Going Anyway Planet Really Hard Hard Time Satellite

A miniature poodle is not not a dog just because it's miniature. Alan Stern

Dog Miniature Because Just Just Because Poodle

It says something very deep about humans and our society, something very good about us, that we've invested our time and treasure in building a machine that can fly across three billion miles of space to explore the Pluto system. Alan Stern

Time Good Space Fly Three Building Society Our Machine Says Our Time System Pluto About Something Invested Very Us Across Explore Miles Billion Deep Treasure Humans

Every mission has life-or-death moments. Alan Stern

Every Mission Moments

I've been on 26 space missions; they range from suborbital to orbital to shuttle experiments to planetary missions. Alan Stern

Space Range Missions Been Experiments Planetary Shuttle

It shouldn't be so difficult to determine what a planet is. When you're watching a science fiction show like 'Star Trek' and they show up at some object in space and turn on the viewfinder, the audience and the people in the show know immediately whether it's a planet or a star or a comet or an asteroid. Alan Stern

You Science People Space Difficult Trek Asteroid Immediately Some Object Determine Like Know Comet Science Fiction Audience Up Fiction Whether Turn Turn-On Planet Show Star Star Trek Watching

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Alan Stern

Evidence Absence

As a researcher, I look forward to being able to do space science in a space environment. Alan Stern

Science Space Able Environment Look Being Researcher Forward

At the time of Apollo 11, I was a grade-schooler, and I remember every time an Apollo mission would take place that, like a lot of little boys, I'd gather in front of the TV for hours and hours and hours with my little brother. Alan Stern

I'm hopeful that commercial space exploration will takeoff. To really fuel the spaceflight revolution will require an investment of hundreds of billions of dollars a year, and I think that's only going to happen in the commercial sector - if there are large profits to be made. Alan Stern

Space Will Made Year Revolution Think Hundreds Sector Hopeful Only Investment Dollars Commercial Going Space Exploration Happen Fuel Really Require Exploration Billions Large Billions Of Dollars Profits

Typically in science, individual scientists make up their minds about scientific fact or theory one at a time. We don't take votes. We just don't vote on quantum mechanics, the theory of relativity, why the sky is blue, or anything else. Alan Stern

Time Vote Science Sky Else Minds Relativity About Fact Individual Take Votes Make Make Up Quantum Scientific Quantum Mechanics Scientific Fact Scientists Up Blue Just Anything Anything Else Theory Mechanics Why

Science is really about individual experts reaching a consensus. Alan Stern

Science About Individual Reaching Experts Really Consensus

One of the implications of the discovery of the Kuiper Belt and its many small planets is that many scientists now think of the solar system as having not two but three zones. Alan Stern

Solar Three Think Solar System System Having Small Implications Scientists Discovery Planets Many Now Zone Two Belt

I actually started my career in planetary science with a master's thesis on Pluto. Alan Stern

Science Master Pluto Planetary Thesis Actually Started Career

I like the planets because they are real places that you can go to and send machines to. Faraway astronomy - galactic astronomy and extra-galactic astronomy - is really cool stuff, but to me, it's about destinations. Alan Stern

Me You Destinations Machines Astronomy About Stuff Like Because Real Go Send Places Really Planets Faraway Cool

Why would you listen to an astronomer about a planet? Alan Stern

You Astronomer Would About Listen Planet Why

Liquids may have existed on the surface of Pluto in the past. Alan Stern

Past Pluto Surface Existed Liquid May In The Past

Either data supports the observations or they don't. Voting doesn't work in science. Alan Stern

Work Science Voting Data Observations Supports Either

In the mind of the public, the word 'planet' carries a significance lacking in other words used to describe planetary bodies... many members of the public assume that alleged 'non-planets' cease to be interesting enough to warrant scientific exploration. Alan Stern

Words Word Mind Assume Other Enough Members Significance Carries Alleged Scientific Cease Lacking In Other Words Interesting Public Planet Bodies Planetary Exploration Used Warrant Many Describe

New Horizons is a very high-tech, small, roughly 1,000-pound spacecraft with the most powerful battery of scientific instrumentation ever brought to bear on a first reconnaissance mission. Alan Stern

First Battery Horizons Brought Small Bear High-Tech Powerful New Mission Most Most Powerful Instrumentation Scientific Very Spacecraft Roughly Ever

It's interesting - Pluto's almost a brand unto itself. It's the farthest. It's the most diminutive of the classical planets. It's been maligned by astronomers. It's always the one with all the question marks in the back of the textbook in the table. I think children identify with it because it's smaller, kind of cute. Alan Stern

Cute Think Back Marks Kind Table Classical Pluto Smaller Almost Most Unto Identify Because Always Been Question Textbook Maligned Itself Brand Children Interesting Planets Farthest

I call Pluto the harbinger. Alan Stern

Pluto Call

Quotes by Scientists