Limerick Quotes (21 quotes)
“Complex” is a relative term
That’s rarely applied to a worm
But a worm that’s coelomic
Can be rather comic
It can burrow and wriggle and squirm.
That’s rarely applied to a worm
But a worm that’s coelomic
Can be rather comic
It can burrow and wriggle and squirm.
In sidebar from History of Life (1989, 1991). Quoted in review of that book by Mary L. Droser, PALAIOS (Oct 1990), 5, No. 5, 485.
A chemist on Labor Day, bright,
Crafted a barbecue sauce, just right.
With beakers and flasks,
He managed the tasks,
Concocting a flavor delight.
Crafted a barbecue sauce, just right.
With beakers and flasks,
He managed the tasks,
Concocting a flavor delight.
Limerick and art by Artificial Intelligence. Prompt by Webmaster.
A man of the land, Carter knew,
To nature, we must be true.
He advocated for science,
Against fossil reliance,
Sowing seeds for the green to renew.
To nature, we must be true.
He advocated for science,
Against fossil reliance,
Sowing seeds for the green to renew.
Limerick generated by Artificial Intelligence, with two words tweaked by Webmaster. Original AI output had “Jimmy” and “accrue”; changed to “Carter” and “renew”.
A Russian with eyes on the stars,
Tsiolkovsky dreamed past the Mars,
With math as his guide,
He took in his stride,
To sketch out space voyages afar.
Tsiolkovsky dreamed past the Mars,
With math as his guide,
He took in his stride,
To sketch out space voyages afar.
Limerick created by Artificial Intelligence from: “Write a limerick about K.E. Tsiolkovsky, Russian pioneer space theorist,” and only two words tweaked by Webmaster (17 Sep 2023).
Hawking in his chariot of thought,
With cosmic brilliance he sought
The equations profound,
Space and time unbound.
In science’s tapestry, new threads he wrought.
With cosmic brilliance he sought
The equations profound,
Space and time unbound.
In science’s tapestry, new threads he wrought.
Limerick about Stephen Hawking. Co-written by Artificial Intelligence and Webmaster.
He faced ridicule, they’d jest and jeer,
But Goddard, he showed no fear.
With propellant and flame,
He made his name,
In rocketry history, he’s a pioneer!
But Goddard, he showed no fear.
With propellant and flame,
He made his name,
In rocketry history, he’s a pioneer!
As generated by Artificial Intelligence, without any edits. Prompt by Webmaster: “Write a limerick about Robert Goddard.” (4 Oct 2023)
In a grove lay Einstein one day,
’Neath an apple tree’s inviting display.
Hoped for insight anew,
Like old Newton’s big clue,
But the fruit gave no eureka away.
’Neath an apple tree’s inviting display.
Hoped for insight anew,
Like old Newton’s big clue,
But the fruit gave no eureka away.
Caricature by AI: midjourney, clipdrop. Text by Artificial Intelligence: ChatGPT. Slight text edit and prompts by Webmaster. (19 Aug 2023)
In Panama, Ross forged ahead,
Where mosquitoes and malaria bred,
He deciphered the link,
Making experts rethink,
The way the disease was widespread.
Where mosquitoes and malaria bred,
He deciphered the link,
Making experts rethink,
The way the disease was widespread.
Created by Artificial Intelligence from: “Write a limerick about Ronald Ross bacteriologist, malaria and the Panama Canal, and include his mosquito connection to malaria.” (16 Sep 2023)
Ivan Pavlov revealed new findings,
For conditioned reflex with bell rings.
The bell was a tool,
That made dogs drool,
Anticipating the food it brings.
For conditioned reflex with bell rings.
The bell was a tool,
That made dogs drool,
Anticipating the food it brings.
Co-written by Artificial Intelligence with much editing by Webmaster.
Moissan, in his chemical quest,
Put his talents to the test.
Isolated fluorine, so rare,
With precision and care,
His achievement among the best.
Put his talents to the test.
Isolated fluorine, so rare,
With precision and care,
His achievement among the best.
Limerick by Artificial Intelligence, without any edits. Prompt by Webmaster: “Write a limerick about Henri Moissan isolating fluorine as an element.” (20 Feb 2024)
Newton lay 'neath a lofty palm tree,
When a coconut smashed on his knee.
“I realize so painfully,
The mystery of gravity.”
A coconut, not an apple, inspired his theory.
When a coconut smashed on his knee.
“I realize so painfully,
The mystery of gravity.”
A coconut, not an apple, inspired his theory.
Original idea by Webmaster, assisted by with Artificial Intelligence: ChatGPT.
Newton lay, quite carefree,In the shade of an apple tree. When one fell on his head, “What is this force?” he said,“Is it gravity teasing me?”
Caricature by AI: midjourney. Text by Artificial Intelligence: ChatGPT. Slight text edit and prompts by Webmaster. (14 Aug 2023)
One wintry night, dozing by firelight,
Kekulé dreamt of snakes curling tight,
With whirl and twist,
In a scholarly tryst,
Carbon’s ring structure burst clearly in sight.
Kekulé dreamt of snakes curling tight,
With whirl and twist,
In a scholarly tryst,
Carbon’s ring structure burst clearly in sight.
Limerick co-written by Artificial Intelligence and Webmaster.
Perhaps ’twas an apple fell from a tree,
That inspired young Isaac, to see.
The law of gravity it sparked,
A breakthrough, it marked,
And physics was changed, eternally!
That inspired young Isaac, to see.
The law of gravity it sparked,
A breakthrough, it marked,
And physics was changed, eternally!
Text tweaked from an original limerick by Artificial Intelligence: ChatGPT. Newton image imagined by AI: midjourney. Both had prompts formed by Webmaster. (10 Feb 2023). The original limerick as output by AI was: “There was an apple, plucked from a tree,/That inspired Sir Isaac, to see,/The laws of motion it sparked,/A breakthrough, with a mark,/And physics was changed, eternally!” Webmaster made some edits for accuracy. “Perhaps 'twas…” since the falling apple story is likely just myth. Newton was indeed young at the time; not yet “Sir”. He realized that gravity crucially affects both a falling apple and the Moon falling around in orbit. The words “it marked” scan better. The rhyming, and clever final line are entirely from AI.
Rosalind Franklin made X-rays dance,
Getting DNA’s first inner glance.
No Nobel arrived,
After she died;
Science history honors her advance.
Getting DNA’s first inner glance.
No Nobel arrived,
After she died;
Science history honors her advance.
Limerick co-written by Artificial Intelligence and Ian Ellis. The ChatGTP limerick before edits by Webmaster was: “In labs with X-rays she would dance, / Gave DNA its first real glance, / No Nobel did arrive, / But her science thrives, / In history, she took a bold stance.
Sir Barnes Wallis, of inventive mind,
Crafted a bomb of a unique kind.
It bounced on the lake,
Caused the Möhne Dam to break,
Leaving shattered remains behind.
Crafted a bomb of a unique kind.
It bounced on the lake,
Caused the Möhne Dam to break,
Leaving shattered remains behind.
Limerick by Artificial Intelligence, very lightly edited by Webmaster, for prompt: “Write a limerick about Barnes Wallis and his Dambuster bouncing bomb.”
There once was a cat named Albert’s pet,Whose physics ideas you wouldn’t forget, It solved E=mc^2, With a twitch of its tail and a mew,Proving cats can be smart, that’s a sure bet!
Text by Artificial Intelligence: ChatGPT. Einstein caricature by AI: midjourney. Prompts by Webmaster. (10 Feb 2023)
There once was a man with wild hair
Whose equation was truly rare
E equals M C squared
And when people stared
He’d say, “It's all relative, I swear!”
Whose equation was truly rare
E equals M C squared
And when people stared
He’d say, “It's all relative, I swear!”
Text by Artificial Intelligence: ChatGPT. Einstein caricature by AI: midjourney. Prompts by Webmaster (15 Feb 2023).
There was a young fellow from Trinity,
Who took the square root of infinity.
But the number of digits,
Gave him the fidgets;
He dropped Math and took up Divinity.
Who took the square root of infinity.
But the number of digits,
Gave him the fidgets;
He dropped Math and took up Divinity.
Epigraph on title page of One, Two, Three… Infinity: Facts and Speculations of Science (1947, 1988), i. The original text shows symbols instead of the words which appear above as “square root of infinity.”
To her friends said the Bright one in chatter,
“I have learned something new about matter:
My speed was so great,
Much increased was my weight,
Yet I failed to become any fatter!”
“I have learned something new about matter:
My speed was so great,
Much increased was my weight,
Yet I failed to become any fatter!”
Collected in Baring-Gould, The Lure of the Limerick: An Uninhibited History (1967), 6. As cited in John de Pillis, 777 Mathematical Conversation Starters, 277.
Twinkle, twinkle, quasi-star
Biggest puzzle from afar
How unlike the other ones
Brighter than a billion suns
Twinkle, twinkle, quasi-star
How I wonder what you are.
Biggest puzzle from afar
How unlike the other ones
Brighter than a billion suns
Twinkle, twinkle, quasi-star
How I wonder what you are.
In Matter, Earth, and Sky (1965), 568. Quoted earlier in Newsweek (25 May 1964), 63, Pt 2, 63.
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) -- 
