Quotes About Observation

As for the next nearest star, Proxima Centauri, if you look at it in 2012, what you are seeing is happening in 2008.

Careful inference can be more reliable than 'actual observation', however strongly our intuition protests at admitting it.

they experience—what they see, hear, think, and

Obviously, the vast majority of evolutionary change is invisible to direct eye-witness observation. Most of it happened before we were born, and in any case, it is usually too slow to be seen during an individual's lifetime.

H. L. Mencken, again with characteristic cynicism, defined conscience as the inner voice that warns us that someone may be looking.

The reason for this double standard in our scepticism is, quite simply, that we can see and we can't echolocate.

Arta reprezentationala de toate tipurile (si, probabil, arta non-reprezentationala de asemenea) depinde de observatia ca un lucru poate tine locul altuia si ca aceasta substitutie poate fi utila pentru gandire sau comunicare.

In 1846, two mathematical astronomers, J. C. Adams in England and U. J. J. Leverrier in France, were independently puzzled by a discrepancy between the actual position of the planet Uranus and where it theoretically should have been. Both calculated that the perturbation could have been caused by the gravity of an invisible planet of a particular mass in a particular place. The German astronomer J. G. Galle duly pointed his telescope in the right direction and discovered Neptune.

Atheists don't have to fear a great spy camera in the sky. They only – so the argument goes – have to fear real cameras and real policemen. Maybe you've heard the cynical witticism 'Conscience is knowing that someone is watching'.

auger-eyed woman's small stout form, outlining her

The world is a more engaging and less dramatic place than writers ever give it credit for being

Possibly in the lobby she saw someone who reminded her too much of herself (that can happen to inexperienced travelers). Or worse. That no one there reminded her of anyone she ever knew.

It was such a thing to see, a view I had never seen and have not since.

You know, the thing is with people who never talk, the thing is you always suppose they're harbouring some enormous secret. But, just possibly, the secret is, they have absolutely nothing to say.

The moral is that people are paying less attention to you than you believe.

The ideal organizational environment encourages everyone to observe, collect data, and speak up.

Beware of finding what you're looking for. [ A favorite aphorism he often used .]

It's great to be anywhere as a writer. It saves you from implication in the ugliness of the place and justifies your being there. You can spend all day jerking off as long as you describe it well.

The human eye is a wonderful device," I quoted from Poems and Other Prevarications absently. "With a little effort, it can fail to see even the most glaring injustice.

No hagas juicios en tres dimensiones de lo que sólo puedes ver en la pantalla de un televisor.

El ojo humano es un instrumento maravilloso» -dije, citando Poemas y otras tergiversaciones -. «Con un pequeño esfuerzo no es capaz de ver las peores injusticias».

Nobody sees a flower—really—it is so small it takes time—we haven't time—and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time. GEORGIA O'KEEFFE

Pintar no es más que otra forma de llevar un diario».

If we let ourselves notice, writing feels collaborative. It is a dance between reality and us as an observer.