Quotes About Explanation

Back in their special forces days, there were times when Pendergast had disappeared just like this—no word to anyone—only to reappear later with some important objective accomplished. It had happened often enough that their team developed a slang term for it—Don't pull a Pendergast meant "Don't disappear without explanation.

People don't do things without a reason.

Because, my friend, the more prosaic explanation is nearly always more probable.

Imagination is a good servant and a bad master. The simplest explanation is always the most likely.

Date troppo corda alla fantasia. La fantasia è un'ottima serva, ma una pessima padrona. La spiegazione più semplice quasi sempre si rivela esatta.

Sa fii mort e ca si cum ai dormi. Dar nu-ti asezi corpul in pat, ci in pamant. Apoi trebuie sa-i explici lui Dumnezeu de ce vrei mai bine sa fii mort decat viu. Daca nu-l convingi iti stinge creierul si trebuie sa iei viata de la capat. S.a.m.d. S.a.m.d. S.a.m.d. S.a.m.d. Etc.

People don't need to know all the details of how a complex mechanism actually works in order to use it, so they create a cognitive shorthand for explaining it. This explanation is powerful enough to cover their interactions with it but doesn't necessarily reflect its actual inner mechanics.

If I seem unduly clear to you, you must have misunderstood what I said. -- Speaking to a Senate Committee in 1987, as quoted in the Guardian Weekly, November 4, 2005.

For the first time, I understood the ancients' need to find explanations for why things happen. It's a quintessential human imperative. Random is not emotionally satisfying. Therefore, lightning was the bolt from an angry god. Crop failure was punishment for failing to honor the gods with a fatted calf. The plague happened because you took the Lord's name in vain or coveted your neighbor's wife. Going to church regularly and praying could forestall illness. And on and on.

I have explained the phenomena of the heavens and of our sea by the force of gravity, but I have not yet assigned a cause to gravity.

Giving a phenomenon a label does not explain it.

It's a human phenomenon that there has to be a reason for everything. There almost never is.

Oddly, a search for 'jeggings' in my email inbox shows that my first exposure to the phenomenon came from - wait for it - Mike Allen of 'Politico,' who helpfully explained the concept on December 20, 2009.

Many philosophers say it's impossible to explain our conscious experience in scientific, biological terms at all. But that's not exactly true. Scientists have explained why we have certain experiences and not others. It's just that they haven't explained the special features of consciousness that philosophers care about.

Most intellectuals today have a phobia of any explanation of the mind that invokes genetics.

I have always enjoyed explaining physics. In fact it's more than just enjoyment: I need to explain physics.

I often feel a discomfort, a kind of embarrassment, when I explain elementary-particle physics to laypeople. It all seems so arbitrary - the ridiculous collection of fundamental particles, the lack of pattern to their masses.

The thing about science is that it's an accurate picture of the world.

I can explain that shot. Arnold moved his wallet to the other pocket.

Before Dream Theater took off I used to teach a lot, and one of the things my students often asked me was how to apply the chromatic scale to practical playing situations. You see, their other teachers would give them chromatic warm-up exercises without providing any explanation of how important and versatile this scale actually is.

It could be the case that all the studies supporting a warming planet are wrong; science always leaves that door open, but anthropogenic climate change remains the best explanation for a mountain of data that scientists have been poring over for a century.

I leave to the militarists the difficult task of trying to explain to us how these wars have served to shape character or to promote the progress of civilization or to achieve the reign of justice on earth. So far, they have not come forward with the explanation.

Oh, I love astronomy. I'm a Pisces. What sign are you?" Which had made Mac laugh again, and he started to explain the difference between astronomy and astrology. Tiffany was apparently absolutely fascinated…and fascinating. His gaze--and Jason's--was riveted on her. I gave another little shrug, feeling a need to defend my sister, who might be in need of a trip down the yellow brick road to ask the wizard for some brains.

I tried to explain this to Nadine, but she kept interrupting me.