“Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal.”
Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born physicist and founder of the theory of relativity
“Our entire much-praised technological progress, and civilization generally, could be compared to an axe in the hand of a pathological criminal.”
Unser ganzer gepriesener Fortschritt der Technik, überhaupt die Civilisation, ist der Axt in der Hand des pathologischen Verbrechers vergleichbar. <br class="br">Letter to Heinrich Zangger (1917), as quoted in A Sense of the Mysterious: Science and the Human Spirit by Alan Lightman (2005), p. 110 http://books.google.com/books?id=-yo_gVxMs6MC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA110#v=onepage&q&f=false, and in Albert Einstein: A Biography by Albrecht Fölsing (1997), p. 399 http://books.google.com/books?id=Kmm0foYfvQAC&q=%22compared+to+an+axe%22#search_anchor <br class="br">Sometimes paraphrased as "Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal." <br class="br">1910s
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German-born physicist and founder of the theory of relativi… 1879–1955Related quotes
Alan Moore book From Hell
In "Correspondence: From Hell" Alan Moore & Dave Sim, part 3, Cerebus #219, (2003)
Context: Truth is a well-known pathological liar. It invariably turns out to be Fiction wearing a fancy frock. Self-proclaimed Fiction, on the other hand, is entirely honest. You can tell this, because it comes right out and says, "I'm a Liar," right there on the dust jacket.
Mordechai Ben-Ari (1948) Israeli computer scientist
Source: Just a Theory: Exploring the Nature of Science (2005), Chapter 13, “The Future of Science: Surprises or Revolutions” (p. 210)
Larry Niven (1938) American writer
Source: A Gift From Earth (1968), Chapter 10, "Parlette's Hand" (p. 174)
Jerzy Vetulani (1936–2017) Polish scientist
Golinowska, Stanisława; Grodzicki, Tomasz; Tobiasz-Adamczyk, Renata (2013): Starość i starzenie się – trudne wyzwanie przyszłości. Alma Mater, 154, p. 19 (in Polish).
“Our progressive nationalism goes hand-in-hand with a commitment to internationalism.”
Alex Salmond (1954) Scottish National Party politician and former First Minister of Scotland
'Nationalist and Internationalist', Fortnight, No. 291 (Jan., 1991), pp. 16-17.
Context: Membership of a supranational economic trading organisation like the EC is the antithesis of 'separation', the meaningless insult directed at the SNP by unionist parties. Membership involves obligations which cede national sovereignty for mutual benefit. Co-operation with our European partners in the functional areas--economic, trading, technical and social policies--offers an independent Scotland the chance to play a reforming part in creating a Europe of equal nations. The EC is by no means perfect and the idea of a centralised European super-state is anathema. Our view of Europe is confederal--each state proud of its national identity but willing to work and co-operate in a powerful partnership... Every member of the SNP signs a commitment to internationalism when they receive their membership card. Our progressive nationalism goes hand-in-hand with a commitment to internationalism.
Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1901–1972) austrian biologist and philosopher
Source: General System Theory (1968), 2. The Meaning of General Systems Theory, p. 34
Nicholas of Cusa book De Docta Ignorantia
trans. Jasper Hopkins (Minneapolis: Arthur J Banning Press, 1990), 119 – 20.
De Docta Ignorantia (On Learned Ignorance) (1440)