Quotes by Martin Rees - Page 3

Darwin and his successors taught us how our biosphere evolved, and thereby transformed our conception of humanity's place in nature. In the twenty-first century, space scientists are setting Darwin in a grander cosmic context - probing the origins of Earth, stars, atoms and the universe itself.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Atoms
Conception
Cosmic
Probing
Setting
Transformed
Context
Darwin
Evolved
Grander
Origins
Scientists
Thereby
Twenty-First
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I'm a technological optimist in that I do believe that technology will provide solutions that will allow the world in 2050 to support 9 billion people at an acceptable standard of living. But I'm a political pessimist in that I am concerned about whether the science will be appropriately applied.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Technology
Acceptable
Believe
Concerned
People
Pessimist
Solutions
Applied
Billion
Standard
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The Cern laboratory in Geneva was set up in 1955 to bring together European scientists who wished to pursue research into the nuclear and sub-nuclear world. Physicists then had greater clout than other scientists because the memory of their role in the Second World War was fresh in people's minds.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Clout
Geneva
Laboratory
Nuclear
Pursue
Second World War
War Together World
Memory
Physicists
Scientists
Wished
World War
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The first voyagers to the stars will be creatures whose life cycle is matched to the voyage: the aeons involved in traversing the galaxy are not daunting to immortal beings. By the end of the third millennium, travel to other stars could be technically feasible. But would there be sufficient motive?
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Galaxy
Immortal
Matched
Millennium
Motive
Sufficient
Cycle
Daunting
Feasible
Technically
Third
Voyage
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The bedrock nature of space and time and the unification of cosmos and quantum are surely among science's great 'open frontiers.' These are parts of the intellectual map where we're still groping for the truth - where, in the fashion of ancient cartographers, we must still inscribe 'here be dragons.'
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Ancient
Bedrock
Cosmos
Dragons
Fashion
Frontiers
Intellectual
Quantum
Unification
Nature Truth Science
Among
Map
Parts
Space And Time
Surely
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It might seem paradoxical that the biggest scientific instruments of all are needed in order to probe the very smallest things in nature. The micro-world is inherently 'fuzzy' - the sharper the detail we wish to study, the higher the energy that is required and the bigger the accelerator that is needed.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Fuzzy
Instruments
Paradoxical
Smallest
Accelerator
Detail
Inherently
Probe
Required
Scientific
Sharper
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It is mistaken to claim that global problems will be solved more quickly if only researchers would abandon their quest to understand the universe and knuckle down to work on an agenda of public or political concerns. These are not 'either/or' options - indeed, there is a positive symbiosis between them.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Abandon
Mistaken
Researchers
Claim
Concerns
Indeed
Options
Quest
Solved
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To most people in the UK, indeed throughout Western Europe, space exploration is primarily perceived as 'what NASA does'. This perception is - in many respects - a valid one. Superpower rivalry during the Cold War ramped up US and Soviet space efforts to a scale that Western Europe had no motive to match.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Space
War
Europe
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And we should keep our minds open, or at least ajar, to concepts on the fringe of science fiction. Flaky American futurologists aren't always wrong. They remind us that a superintelligent machine is the last instrument that humans may ever design - the machine will itself take over in making further steps.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Design
Concepts
Fringe
Humans
Science Fiction
Steps
Further
Instrument
Least
Minds
Remind
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It used to be controversial whether smoking caused lung cancer, it used to be controversial whether HIV caused AIDS. Now, there are a few mavericks who deny those things. In the case of climate change, I think the debate is going the same way in that there is a strong consensus that it is a serious matter.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Cancer
Strong
Thinking
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Let me say that I don't see any conflict between science and religion. I go to church as many other scientists do. I share with most religious people a sense of mystery and wonder at the universe and I want to participate in religious ritual and practices because they're something that all humans can share.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
People
Practice
Religious
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To most people in the U.K., indeed throughout Western Europe, space exploration is primarily perceived as 'what NASA does'. This perception is - in many respects - a valid one. Superpower rivalry during the Cold War ramped up U.S. and Soviet space efforts to a scale that Western Europe had no motive to match.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Cold
Cold War
Exploration
Motive
Nasa
Rivalry
Soviet
Superpower
Western
Western Europe
Scale
Efforts
Indeed
Many Respects
Match
Perceived
Primarily
Respects
Valid
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Everything, however complicated - breaking waves, migrating birds, and tropical forests - is made of atoms and obeys the equations of quantum physics. But even if those equations could be solved, they wouldn't offer the enlightenment that scientists seek. Each science has its own autonomous concepts and laws.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Atoms
Autonomous
Complicated
Concepts
Enlightenment
Equations
Forests
Physics
Quantum
Quantum Physics
Tropical
Laws
Birds
Breaking
However
Seek
Offer
Scientists
Solved
Waves
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I have no religious belief myself, but I don't think we should fight about it. In particular, I think that we should not rubbish moderate religious leaders like the Archbishop of Canterbury because I think we all agree that extreme fundamentalism is a threat, and we need all the allies we can muster against it.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Agree
Allies
Belief
Canterbury
Fighting
Fundamentalism
Muster
Religious
Religious Belief
Rubbish
Thinking
Threat
Extreme
Archbishop
Moderate
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Manufacturing doesn't just mean building cars and metal-bashing; it includes making pharmaceuticals and hi-tech electronics. A crucial part of the process is the research and development that allows better and greener products to come to market. Britain has traditionally had a strong science and engineering base.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Britain
Crucial
Electronics
Engineering
Greener
Manufacturing
Base
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The next humans to walk on the moon may be Chinese. Only China seems to have the resources, the dirigiste government, and the willingness to undertake a risky Apollo-style programme. If Americans or Europeans venture to the moon and beyond, this will have to be in a very different style and with different motives.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
China
Humans
Moon
Resources
Venture
Willingness
Europeans
Motives
Programme
Risky
To The Moon
Undertake
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Some global hazards are insidious. They stem from pressure on energy supplies, food, water and other natural resources. And they will be aggravated as the population rises to a projected nine billion by mid-century, and by the effects of climate change. An 'ecological shock' could irreversibly degrade our environment.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Aggravated
Climate
Climate Change
Degrade
Ecological
Energy
Environment
Hazards
Insidious
Natural
Natural Resources
Nine
Population
Pressure
Resources
Shock
Stem
Supplies
Water
Change Food Water
Billion
Global
Projected
Rises
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The scientific community should work as hard as possible to address major issues that affect our everyday lives such as climate change, infectious diseases and counterterrorism; in particular, 'clean energy' research deserves far higher priority. And science and technology are the prime routes to tackling these issues.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Clean
Clean Energy
Climate Change
Everyday
Higher
Particular
Research
Routes
Science And Technology
Tackling
Address
Change Work Science
Affect
Counterterrorism
Diseases
Everyday Lives
Infectious
Major
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Ironically, it is only when disaster strikes that the shuttle makes the headlines. Its routine flights attracted less media interest than unmanned probes to the planets or the images from the Hubble Telescope. The fate of Columbia (like that of Challenger in 1986) reminded us that space is still a hazardous environment.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Columbia
Disaster
Environment
Fate
Hubble
Planets
Routine
Strikes
Challenger
Flights
Hazardous
Images
Ironically
Reminded
Shuttle
Telescope
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The first arrival of earthly life on another celestial body ranks as an epochal event not only for our generation, but in the history of our planet. Neil Armstrong was at the cusp of the Apollo programme. This was a collective technological effort of epic scale, but his is the one name sure to be remembered centuries hence.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Apollo
Armstrong
Celestial
Cusp
Epic
Our Generation
Our Planet
Remembered
Scale
Centuries
Collective
Earthly
Event
Hence
Neil
Programme
Ranks
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If we ever establish contact with intelligent aliens living on a planet around a distant star ... They would be made of similar atoms to us. They could trace their origins back to the big bang 13.7 billion years ago, and they would share with us the universe's future. However, the surest common culture would be mathematics.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Future
Science
Stars
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Most theorists suspect that space has an intricate structure - that it is 'grainy' - but that this structure is on a much finer scale than any known subatomic particle. The structure could be of an exotic kind: extra dimensions, over and above the three that we are used to (up and down, backward and forward, left and right).
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Dimensions
Exotic
Intricate
Structure
Up And Down
Scale
Backward
Extra
Finer
Particle
Suspect
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From a personal perspective, I am disappointed that we have yet to really achieve a full understanding of the origins of life on Earth. What was the spark that, billions of years ago, kickstarted the process of evolution that has brought us life as we know it today? I hope that we will get some answers to that in my lifetime.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Billions
Disappointed
Lifetime
Perspective
Origins
Spark
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Some things, like the orbits of the planets, can be calculated far into the future. But that's atypical. In most contexts, there is a limit. Even the most fine-grained computation can only forecast British weather a few days ahead. There are limits to what can ever be learned about the future, however powerful computers become.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Computers
Computation
Planets
Weather
Calculated
Forecast
Limit
Some Things
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If we do find ET, we will at least have something in common with them. They may live on planet Zog and have seven tentacles, but they will be made of the same kinds of atoms as us. If they have eyes, they will gaze out on the same cosmos as we do. They will, like us, trace their origins back to a 'Big Bang' 13.8 billion years ago.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Atoms
Common
Cosmos
Seven
Years Ago
Bang
Big Bang
Billion
Eyes
Gaze
Origins
Planet
Trace
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If you represent the Earth's lifetime by a single year, say from January when it was made to December, the 21st-century would be a quarter of a second in June - a tiny fraction of the year. But even in this concertinaed cosmic perspective, our century is very, very special: the first when humans can change themselves and their home planet.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Cosmic
December
Humans
January
June
Lifetime
Perspective
Tiny
Represent
Fraction
Quarter
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Scientists habitually moan that the public doesn't understand them. But they complain too much: public ignorance isn't peculiar to science. It's sad if some citizens can't tell a proton from a protein. But it's equally sad if they're ignorant of their nation's history, can't speak a second language, or can't find Venezuela or Syria on a map.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Citizens
Ignorance
Ignorant
Peculiar
Protein
Syria
Too Much
Venezuela
Complain
Equally
Map
Moan
Scientists
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During the 20th century, we came to understand that the essence of all substances - their colour, texture, hardness and so forth - is set by their structure, on scales far smaller even than a microscope can see. Everything on Earth is made of atoms, which are, especially in living things, combined together in intricate molecular assemblages.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Atoms
Colour
Essence
Hardness
Intricate
Scales
Structure
Texture
Together
Forth
Microscope
Molecular
Smaller
Substances
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There are strong reasons for believing that space goes on beyond the limits of our observational horizon. There are strong reasons because if you look in opposite directions, conditions are the same to within one part in 100,000. So if we are part of some finite structure then, if the gradient is so shallow, it is likely to go on much further.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Conditions
Finite
Horizon
Shallow
Structure
Opposite
Believing
Directions
Further
Likely
Observational
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Post-human intelligence will develop hypercomputers with the processing power to simulate living things - even entire worlds. Perhaps advanced beings could use hypercomputers to surpass the best 'special effects' in movies or computer games so vastly that they could simulate a world, fully, as complex as the one we perceive ourselves to be in.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Effects
Perceive
Processing
Simulate
Special Effects
Advanced
Complex
Fully
Surpass
Vastly
Worlds
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We should all oppose - as Darwin did - views manifestly in conflict with the evidence, such as creationism... But we shouldn't set up this debate as 'religion v science'; instead we should strive for peaceful coexistence with at least the less dogmatic strands of mainstream religions, which number many excellent scientists among their adherents.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Numbers
Peaceful
Views
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Charles Darwin [is my personal favorite Fellow of the Royal Society]. I suppose as a physical scientist I ought to have chosen Newton. He would have won hands down in an IQ test, but if you ask who was the most attractive personality then Darwin is the one you'd wish to meet. Newton was solitary and reclusive, even vain and vindictive in his later years when he was president of the society.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Hands
Personality
Years
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Most educated people are aware that we are the outcome of nearly 4 billion years of Darwinian selection, but many tend to think that humans are somehow the culmination. Our sun, however, is less than halfway through its lifespan. It will not be humans who watch the sun’s demise, 6 billion years from now. Any creatures that then exist will be as different from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Science
Thinking
Years
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It's becoming clear that in a sense the cosmos provides the only laboratory where sufficiently extreme conditions are ever achieved to test new ideas on particle physics. The energies in the Big Bang were far higher than we can ever achieve on Earth. So by looking at evidence for the Big Bang, and by studying things like neutron stars, we are in effect learning something about fundamental physics.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Learning
Science
Stars
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I suspect there could be life and intelligence out there in forms we can't conceive. Just as a chimpanzee can't understand quantum theory, it could be there as aspects of reality that are beyond the capacity of our brains They could be staring us in the face and we just Don't recognise them. The problem is that we-re looking for something very much like us, assuming that they at least have something like the same mathematics and technology.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Technology
Moon
Reality
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The physicist is like someone who's watching people playing chess and, after watching a few games, he may have worked out what the moves in the game are. But understanding the rules is just a trivial preliminary on the long route from being a novice to being a grand master. So even if we understand all the laws of physics, then exploring their consequences in the everyday world where complex structures can exist is a far more daunting task, and that's an inexhaustible one I'm sure.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Science
Law
Moving
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Once the threshold is crossed when there is a self-sustaining level of life in space, then life's long-range future will be secure irrespective of any of the risks on Earth. Will this happen before our technological civilization disintegrates, leaving this as a might-have-been? Will the self-sustaining space communities be established before a catastrophe sets back the prospect of any such enterprise, perhaps foreclosing it forever? We live at what could be a defining moment for the cosmos.
Martin Rees / Astronomer
Space
Civilization
Moon
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