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Isaac Asimov
(2 Jan 1920 - 6 Apr 1992)
Russian-American writer and biochemist who was a prolific author and editor of science fiction and non-fiction.
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Isaac Asimov Quotes on Solution (6 quotes)
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>> Click for 265 Science Quotes by Isaac Asimov
>> Click for Isaac Asimov Quotes on | Belief | Biography | Creationist | Death | Fear | Ignorance | Knowledge | Life | Science | Scientist | Theory | Understanding | Universe |
How often people speak of art and science as though they were two entirely different things, with no interconnection. An artist is emotional, they think, and uses only his intuition; he sees all at once and has no need of reason. A scientist is cold, they think, and uses only his reason; he argues carefully step by step, and needs no imagination. That is all wrong. The true artist is quite rational as well as imaginative and knows what he is doing; if he does not, his art suffers. The true scientist is quite imaginative as well as rational, and sometimes leaps to solutions where reason can follow only slowly; if he does not, his science suffers.
— Isaac Asimov
'Prometheus.' The Roving Mind (1983), Chap 25.
Increasingly, our leaders must deal with dangers that threaten the entire world, where an understanding of those dangers and the possible solutions depend on a good grasp of science. The ozone layer, the greenhouse effect, acid rain, questions of diet and of heredity--all require scientific literacy. Can Americans choose the proper leaders and support the proper programs if they are scientifically illiterate?
— Isaac Asimov
articles.latimes.com/1989-03-31/news/vw-543_1_scientific-literacy
Increasingly, our leaders must deal with dangers that threaten the entire world, where an understanding of those dangers and the possible solutions depends on a good grasp of science. The ozone layer, the greenhouse effect, acid rain, questions of diet and heredity. All require scientific literacy. Can Americans choose the proper leaders and support the proper programs if they themselves are scientifically illiterate? The whole premise of democracy is that it is safe to leave important questions to the court of public opinion—but is it safe to leave them to the court of public ignorance?
— Isaac Asimov
In Los Angeles Times (31 Mar 1989).
Intelligence is an extremely subtle concept. It’s a kind of understanding that flourishes if it’s combined with a good memory, but exists anyway even in the absence of good memory. It’s the ability to draw consequences from causes, to make correct inferences, to foresee what might be the result, to work out logical problems, to be reasonable, rational, to have the ability to understand the solution from perhaps insufficient information. You know when a person is intelligent, but you can be easily fooled if you are not yourself intelligent.
— Isaac Asimov
In Irv Broughton (ed.), The Writer's Mind: Interviews with American Authors (1990), Vol. 2, 57.
Science fiction writers foresee the inevitable, and although problems and catastrophes may be inevitable, solutions are not.
— Isaac Asimov
'How Easy to See the Future'. In Asimov on Science Fiction (1981), 86.
While knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
— Isaac Asimov
In Asimov's New Guide to Science (1984), 15.
See also:
- 2 Jan - short biography, births, deaths and events on date of Asimov's birth.
- Isaac Asimov - context of quote “It’s the bees and the flowers.” - Medium image (500 x 250 px)
- Isaac Asimov - context of quote “It’s the bees and the flowers.” - Large image (800 x 400 px)
- Asimov's Chronology of Science and Discovery, by Isaac Asimov. - book suggestion.
- Booklist for Isaac Asimov.
In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.
(1987) -- 
