An occasional, miscellaneous selection of light-hearted aphorisms, sayings, facts and other titbits that I happen to find wise, amusing or curious.
Current relevance
“Nor is the history of fanatics half so striking in respect to the measureless self-deception of the fanatic himself, as is his measureless power of deceiving and bedevilling so many others.” – Herman Melville, Moby-Dick
“Democracy does not endure on political structures alone. It is nurtured in our libraries, museums, cinemas, archives, and theatres – spaces where people learn to think critically, to empathise, and to belong.” – Jakob Engel-Schmidt, Danish Minister of Culture, 2025.
“He thought of the ancient legends of Ultimate Chaos, at whose centre sprawls the blind idiot got Azathoth, Lord of All Things, encircled by his flopping horde of mindless and amorphous dancers.” – H.P. Lovecraft
Aphorisms
There is light at the end of the tunnel, but not at the bottom of the mine. Be careful which way you dig.
Anon
The wisdom of the old begins with the learning and action of the young.
Anon
You can’t explain radioactivity to a cow.
Newsreel report on the Windscale fire.
If at first you don’t succeed, sky diving is not for you.
Anon
It is not the business of science to inherit the earth, but to inherit the moral imagination.
Joseph Bronowski
I do not regret this journey: we took risks, we knew we took them, things have come out against us, therefore we have no cause for complaint.
Captain Scott
When water covers the head, a thousand fathoms are as one.
Persian proverb
Facts
There are more grains in a handful of sand than all the stars visible to the naked eye. There are more stars in the universe than all the grains of sand on all the beaches in the world.
Carl Sagan
The world is blue.
Yuri Gagarin
Sporadic reflections 