Analogy quotes
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Ludwig_Bolztman
Awkward Mind
“How awkward is the human mind in divining the nature of things, when forsaken by the analogy of what we see and touch directly.”
- Source: Ludwig Bolztman in the article ‘Certain Questions of the Theory of Gasses’, published in Nature, Volume 51, Number 1322, 1895-02-28, page 414.
David_Epstein
Analogical Thinking
“Analogical thinking takes the new and makes it familiar... It also allows us to understand that which we cannot see at all.”
- Source: David Epstein in the book “Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World”. Published 2019 by Riverhead Books. Chapter 5, page 103. ISBN 978-0735214484.
- Keywords: Analogy_quotes Thinking_quotes Take_quotes New_quotes Make_quotes Familiar_quotes Allow_quotes Understand_quotes See_quotes
Dedre_Gentner
Analogical Capacity
“Analogical ability is the key factor in our prodigious capacity.”
- Source: Dedre Gentner in the academic paper entitled ‘Bootstrapping the mind: Analogical processes and symbol systems’, Cognitive Science, volume 34, issue 5, 2010, pages 752-775. DOI 10.1111/j.1551-6709.2010.01114.x
- Keywords: Analogy_quotes Ability_quotes Key_quotes Factor_quotes Prodigious_quotes Capacity_quotes
Language and Analogy
“Language is necessary to realize the full potential of our analogical capacity.”
- Source: Dedre Gentner in the academic paper entitled ‘Bootstrapping the mind: Analogical processes and symbol systems’, Cognitive Science, volume 34, issue 5, 2010, pages 752-775. DOI 10.1111/j.1551-6709.2010.01114.x
- Keywords: Language_quotes Analogy_quotes Necessary_quotes Realize_quotes Full_quotes Potential_quotes Capacity_quotes
Objects and Attributes
“Analogy is characterized by the mapping of relations between objects, rather than attributes of objects.”
- Source: Dedre Gentner in the academic paper entitled ‘Structure‐Mapping: A Theoretical Framework for Analogy’, Cognitive Science, volume 7, issue 5, 1983, pages 166-170. DOI 10.1207/s15516709cog0702_3
- Keywords: Analogy_quotes Characterize_quotes Mapping_quotes Relation_quotes Between_quotes Object_quotes Rather_quotes Attribute_quotes
Thomas_Gold
Knowledge Rules
“In no subject is there a rule, compliance with which will lead to new knowledge or better understanding. Skilful observations, ingenious ideas, cunning tricks, daring suggestions, laborious calculations, all these may be required to advance a subject. Occasionally the conventional approach in a subject has to be studiously followed; on other occasions it has to be ruthlessly disregarded. Which of these methods, or in what order they should be employed is generally unpredictable. Analogies drawn from the history of science are frequently claimed to be a guide; but, as with forecasting the next game of roulette, the existence of the best analogy to the present is no guide whatever to the future. The most valuable lesson to be learnt from the history of scientific progress is how misleading and strangling such analogies have been, and how success has come to those who ignored them.”
- Source: Thomas Gold, 'Cosmology', in Arthur Beer (ed.), Vistas in Astronomy (1956), Vol. 2, 1722.
- Keywords: Rule_quotes Subject_quotes Compliance_quotes Knowledge_quotes Understanding_quotes Skill_quotes Observation_quotes Idea_quotes Trick_quotes Courage_quotes Labor_quotes Status_Quo_quotes Creativity_quotes Prediction_quotes Analogy_quotes History_quotes Science_quotes Game_quotes Success_quotes Ingenious_quotes Cunning_quotes Daring_quotes Suggest_quotes Calculation_quotes Conventional_quotes Approach_quotes Order_quotes Follow_quotes Ruthless_quotes Disregard_quotes Method_quotes Unpredictable_quotes Guide_quotes Forecast_quotes Roulette_quotes Existence_quotes Present_quotes Future_quotes Value_quotes Learn_quotes Progress_quotes Mislead_quotes Strangle_quotes Ignore_quotes
Mary_Hesse
Analogy or Model
“…one of the main functions of an analogy or model is to suggest extensions of the theory by considering extensions of the analogy, since more is known about the analogy than is known about the subject matter of the theory itself… A collection of observable concepts in a purely formal hypothesis suggesting no analogy with anything would consequently not suggest either any directions for its own development.”
- Source: Mary B. Hesse, 'Operational Definition and Analogy in Physical Theories', British Journal for the Philosophy of Science (Feb 1952), 2, No. 8, 291.
- Keywords: Function_quotes Analogy_quotes Model_quotes Theory_quotes Extension_quotes Subject_quotes Observation_quotes Hypothesis_quotes Direction_quotes
Douglas_Hofstadter
Strange Consciousness
“My belief is that the explanations of emergent phenomena in our brains — for instance, ideas, hopes, images, analogies, and finally consciousness and free will — are based on a kind of Strange Loop, an interaction between levels in which the top loop reaches back down towards the bottom level and influences it, while at the same time being itself determined by the bottom level. In other words, a self-reinforcing resonance between different levels.”
- Source: Hofstadter, Douglas R. (1979). Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid. Written by Douglas R. Hofstadter. Basic Books, New York, NY. ISBN 13: 978-046502656-2. ISBN 10: 046502656-7. Chapter 20. Page 709.
- Keywords: Belief_quotes Explanation_quotes Emergent_quotes Phenomena_quotes Brain_quotes Idea_quotes Hope_quotes Image_quotes Analogy_quotes Consciousness_quotes Free_Will_quotes Strange_Loop_quotes Interaction_quotes Level_quotes Loop_quotes Top_quotes Bottom_quotes Influence_quotes Determine_quotes Reinforce_quotes Resonance_quotes Self_quotes Different_quotes
Grace_Hopper
Millisecond
“I normally drive all of my bosses totally nuts. Because I won't do anything until I understand what I have been told to do. So, when you tell me to do something I start asking questions until I get a clear picture of what I've been told to do... so I naturally said, ‘What's a millisecond?’ Well they told me it's a thousandth of a second, and I had a problem immediately. I can see a second go by on a clock but darned if I could see a thousandth of it. So, I said, ‘Please show me a millisecond.’ And nobody but nobody would show me a millisecond. Time went on with me still fussing 'til somebody stuck a finder in one of my programs and said, ‘Hey, you wasted five microseconds’ and I said ‘So what? What's a Microsecond?’ Well, they told me it's a millionth of a second, and again I had a problem. In the first place I didn't know what a million of anything was. The biggest check I had ever seen was less than a thousand dollars. I didn't know what a million was, and if I didn't know what a million was, I didn't know what a millionth was. And I fussed and fumed because I wanted to know what a microsecond was. I got nowhere. Pretty soon over in the engineering building they started talking about circuits that act in nano seconds, billionths of a second. Well that really had me on the ropes, because in the first place I didn't know what a billion was. I don't think most of those guys up in Washington do either. And if you don't know what a billion is, how on earth do you know what a billionth is? I fussed and fumed. Finally, one morning in total desperation I called over to the engineering building and I said, ‘Please cut off a nanosecond and send it over to me.’ And I brought you some today. Now what I wanted when I asked for a nanosecond was, I wanted a piece of wire which would represent the maximum distance that electricity could travel in a billionth of a second. Of course, it wouldn't really be through wire. It would be out in space at the velocity of light. So, if you start at the velocity of light and use your friendly computer, you discover that a nanosecond is 11.8 inches long/ The maximum limiting distance that electricity can travel in a billionth of a second. Well, I was real[ly] happy with my nanosecond. I looked at it from all angles. I thought about it. I looked at wall switches and counted the distance some of those lights went on. Geez, these may have taken a couple of thousand nanoseconds. Finally at the end of about a week I called back and said, ‘Look. I need something to compare this to. Could I please have a microsecond?’ I've only got one microsecond so I can't give you each one. There's a microsecond. 984 feet. I sometimes think we ought to hang one over every programmer's desk so they'll know exactly what they're throwing away when they throw away a microsecond. I hope you all get some of these nanoseconds. I've got lots of them with me. They're absolutely marvelous for explaining to wives and children, and admirals and generals. You may find yourself in a spot where you have to explain why two pieces of equipment have to be close together, Or explain to an admiral why it takes so damn long to send a message via satellite because there are an awful lot of nanoseconds... But I said I wanted to add in 300 picoseconds. Now a picosecond is a thousandth of a nanosecond. The best way to make picoseconds is to get one of those big pepper grinders and you can make picoseconds all over the table.”
- Source: Grace Hopper in a lecture delivered 1982-08-19 at the NSA (National Security Agency). Video available at YouTube as “NSA Releases Internal 1982 Lecture by Computing Pioneer Rear Admiral Grace Hopper”, channel The Black Vault Originals, online at <https://youtu.be/_bP14OzIJWI?si=wcUTl04b4p4scY6k>, posted 2024-08, retrieved 2024-08. Quote in video at 40:25.
Bernardo_Kastrup
Psyche Spectrum
“Jung invites us to think of the psyche as something analogous to the spectrum of light, which runs from the infra-red to the ultra-violet. In the middle of the spectrum, corresponding to visible light, we have the psyche proper. On the higher, ultra-violet end we have the spiritual psychoid. On the lower, infrared end we have the instinctual psychoid.”
- Source: From “Decoding Jung's Metaphysics: The Archetypal Semantics of an Experiential Universe”. Written by Bernardo Kastrup. Published by IFF Books, Washington DC. Kindle Edition. Page 82. Chapter 5.
Johannes_Kepler
Analogies
“But I especially love analogies, my most faithful masters, acquainted with all the secrets of Nature...”
- Source: Johannes Kepler in “Ad Vitellionem Paralipomena” (Appendix to Witelo), written in Latin in 1604.
- Keywords: Love_quotes Analogy_quotes Faithful_quotes Master_quotes Aquaint_quotes Secret_quotes Nature_quotes
Pierre-Simon_Laplace
Problems of Probability
“The most important questions of life... are indeed for the most part only problems of probability. Strictly speaking it may even be said that nearly all our knowledge is problematical; and in the small number of things which we are able to know with certainty, even in the mathematical sciences themselves, the principal means for ascertaining truth — induction and analogy — are based on probabilities.”
- Source: Pierre-Simon Laplace in the essay “Philosophical Essay on Probabilities”, Introduction. Originally published in 1886 in French as “Theorie Analytique Des Probabilites”. English translation by Frederick Wilson Truscott and Frederick Lincoln Emory published in 1902 by John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY. Online at https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Philosophical_Essay_on_Probabilities/WxoPAAAAIAAJ?hl=en retrieved 2024-06-20.
- Keywords: Important_quotes Question_quotes Life_quotes Part_quotes Problem_quotes Probability_quotes Near_quotes Knowledge_quotes Problematical_quotes Small_quotes Number_quotes Thing_quotes Ability_quotes Certainty_quotes Mathematics_quotes Science_quotes Principal_quotes Mean_quotes Ascertain_quotes Truth_quotes Induction_quotes Analogy_quotes Base_quotes
Alister_McGrath
Why is the Kettle Boiling?
“The distinguished geologist Frank Rhodes made this point back in 1965, using the analogy of a boiling kettle. So why is the kettle boiling? Rhodes notes that two types of explanation might be given. At the scientific level, energy is being supplied, which raises the temperature of the water to its boiling point. Yet another answer can be given. 'The kettle is boiling because I put it on to make a cup of tea.' Rhodes makes a point which some of you may find predictable, but is none the less important. Here is what he says: 'Now these are different answers. But both are true, both are complementary and not competitive. One answer is appropriate within a particular frame of reference, the other within another frame of reference. There is a sense in which each is incomplete without the other.”
- Source: McGrath, A. (2014, October 20). Conflict or Mutual Enrichment? Why Science and Theology Need to Talk to Each Other. ABC Australia. Oxford, UK. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2014/10/21/4111675.htm
- Note: Frank Rhodes gave credit for the kettle analogy to Dr. Douglas Spanner.
- Douglas C. Spanner is Professor Emeritus of Plant Biophysics at London University.
- Kettle analogy originally in the book “Creation & Evolution” by Douglas C. Spanner, published by Douglas C. Spanner in 2004, Introduction. Online at https://creationandevolution.co.uk/Creation & Evolution - Prof.D.C.Spanner.pdf retrieved 2024-06-19.
- https://www.creationandevolution.co.uk/dcs.htm (Retrieved 2024-06-19).
- See Also:
- Keywords: Geology_quotes Analogy_quotes Boil_quotes Kettle_quotes Explanation_quotes Science_quotes Energy_quotes Level_quotes Temperature_quotes Water_quotes Answer_quotes Cup_quotes Tea_quotes Prediction_quotes Importance_quotes Differences_quotes True_quotes Complement_quotes Competition_quotes Appropriate_quotes Frame_quotes Reference_quotes Incomplete_quotes Perspective_quotes Bias_quotes Requirements_quotes Rhodes(topic)_quotes
