"The critical attitude may be described as the conscious attempt to
make our theories, our conjectures, suffer in our stead in the
struggle for the survival of the fittest. It gives us a chance to
survive the elimination of an inadequate hypothesis - when a more
dogmatic attitude would eliminate it by eliminating us."
- From Conjectures and Refutations: The
Growth of Scientific Knowledge, by Sir Karl Popper (New York: Basic
Books, 1962).
More computing sins are committed in the name of efficiency (without
necessarily achieving it) than for any other single reason -- including
blind stupidity. -- W. A. Wulf
Program-testing can be used very effectively to show the presence of bugs;
but never to show their absence. (Dijkstra)
"All buildings are predictions. All predictions are wrong."
- Stewart Brand, _How Buildings Learn_, p. 178.
The theory gives the answers, not the theorist. -- Allen Newell (UTC:13)
"The Earth is just too small and fragile a basket for the human race
to keep all its eggs in." Robert A. Heinlein
cryptocosmology - sufficiently advanced communication is indistinguishable
from noise - god is in the least significant bits
- fnerd@smds.com (FutureNerd Steve Witham)
"in all the mammalian species that have so far been carefully studied,
the rate at which their members engage in the killing of conspecifics is
several _thousand_ times greater than the highest homicide rate measured
in any American city." - Daniel Dennett, _Darwin's Dangerous Idea_, p. 478.
"The explosion of the _Challenger_, after twenty-four consecutive successfull
shuttle flights, grounded all manned space missions by the U.S. for more than
two years. The delay barely evoked comment ... But contrast the early history
of aviation, when 31 of the first 40 pilots hired by the Post Office died in
crashes within six years, with no suspension of service." - C. Owen Paepke,
_The Evolution of Progress_
"After all, we're all human."
- Picard
"Speak for yourself, sir. I plan to live forever!"
- Riker