In our profession, we tend to name things exactly as we see them. Big red stars we call red giants. Small white stars we call white dwarfs. When stars are made of neutrons, we call them neutron stars. Stars that pulse, we call them pulsars. In biology they come up with big Latin words for things. MDs write prescriptions in a cuneiform that patients can’t understand, hand them to the pharmacist, who understands the cuneiform. It’s some long fancy chemical thing, which we ingest. In biochemistry, the most popular molecule has ten syllables–deoxyribonucleic acid! Yet the beginning of all space, time, matter, and energy in the cosmos, we can describe in two simple words, Big Bang. We are a monosyllabic science, because the universe is hard enough. There is no point in making big words to confuse you further. Want more? In the universe, there are places where the gravity is so strong that light doesn’t come out. You fall in, and you don’t come out either: black hole. Once again, with single syllables, we get the whole job done. Sorry, but I had to get all that off my chest. Neil Degrasse Tyson
About This Quote

With the explosion of computer technology, scientists have been able to take advantage of these digital devices to develop new methods for studying the universe. The seven words above are used in the study of astronomy, indicating that they were coined by an astronomer or astrophysicist.

Source: Welcome To The Universe: The Problem Book

Some Similar Quotes
  1. Failed relationships can be described as so much wasted make-up. - Marian Keyes
  2. Sex without love is a meaningless experience, but as far as meaningless experiences go its pretty damn good. - Woody Allen
  3. Aside from the obvious, Francesca, what do you want in return for supplying information?” Bones asked, getting back to the subject. “You to take me, ” she replied at once. “Not gonna happen! ” I spat, squeezing him possessively. Three sets of widened eyes fixed... - Jeaniene Frost
  4. I love being in love, but I also love other things, like not being jealous, overly sensitive, or needy.
 - Unknown
  5. Two seconds later, the sound of an alarm filled my ears. ''What did you do?'' I said over the noise as he backed up towards the bathroom door. ''The girl who gave you the note?'''' Yes..'''' I caught her staring at my lighter.'' I blinked.... - Michelle Hodkin
More Quotes By Neil Degrasse Tyson
  1. The problem, often not discovered until late in life, is that when you look for things in life like love, meaning, motivation, it implies they are sitting behind a tree or under a rock. The most successful people in life recognize, that in life they...
  2. We are all connected; To each other, biologically. To the earth, chemically. To the rest of the universe atomically.
  3. The knowledge that the atoms that comprise life on earth - the atoms that make up the human body, are traceable to the crucibles that cooked light elements into heavy elements in their core under extreme temperatures and pressures. These stars- the high mass ones...
  4. For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You'd be surprised how far that gets you.
  5. I know that the molecules in my body are traceable to phenomena in the cosmos. That makes me want to grab people on the street and say: ‘Have you HEARD THIS?
Related Topics