WIST Quotations

Clarke, Arthur C. -- “Hazards of Prophecy: The Failure of Imagination,” Profiles of the Future (1962)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

But the only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.

Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008) British writer
“Hazards of Prophecy: The Failure of Imagination,” Profiles of the Future (1962)

Also known as Clarke's Second Law.

Clarke, Arthur C. -- “Man and Space,” Life Science Library (1964)

Dave — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 18:35:42 +0000

At the very least, comsats and personalized transceivers will banish forever the exasperation of waiting on a corner for a friend while he mistakenly waits for you on another.

Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008) British writer
“Man and Space,” Life Science Library (1964)

Clarke, Arthur C. -- (Attributed)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

The best measure of a man’s honesty isn’t his income tax return. It’s the zero adjust on his bathroom scale.

Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008) British writer
(Attributed)

Clarke, Arthur C. -- (Attributed)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Sometimes I think we’re alone in the universe, and sometimes I think we’re not. In either case the idea is quite staggering.

Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008) British writer
(Attributed)

also attrib. Abraham Maslow

Clarke, Arthur C. -- 2001: A Space Odyssey [HAL 9000] (1968) [with Stanley Kubrick]

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Look, Dave … I can see you’re really upset about this …. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly …. Take a stress pill, and think things over.

Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008) British writer
2001: A Space Odyssey [HAL 9000] (1968) [with Stanley Kubrick]

Clarke, Arthur C. -- How the World Was One: Beyond the Global Village, Part 4, ch. 27 (1992)

Dave — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 23:01:02 +0000

The Universe appears to be a device contrived for the perpetual astonishment of astronomers.

Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008) British writer
How the World Was One: Beyond the Global Village, Part 4, ch. 27 (1992)

A number of variants can be found, e.g., "I sometimes think the universe is a machine designed for the perpetual astonishment of astronomers" or "The universe: a device contrived for the perpetual astonishment of astronomers." The above is the only one I could find from a source by Clarke himself.

Clarke, Arthur C. -- Profiles of the Future, “Hazards of Prophecy: The Failure of Imagination” (Clarke’s First Law) (1962; rev. 1973)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.

Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008) British writer
Profiles of the Future, “Hazards of Prophecy: The Failure of Imagination” (Clarke’s First Law) (1962; rev. 1973)

Clarke, Arthur C. -- Profiles of the Future, “Hazards of Prophecy: The Failure of Imagination” (Clarke’s Third Law) (1962; rev. 1973)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008) British writer
Profiles of the Future, “Hazards of Prophecy: The Failure of Imagination” (Clarke’s Third Law) (1962; rev. 1973)

Clarke, Arthur C. -- The Exploration of Space (1951)

Dave — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:26:22 +0000

For a faith which cannot survive collision with the truth is not worth many regrets.

Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008) British writer
The Exploration of Space (1951)

On people who fear contact with intelligent non-humans would "destroy the foundations of their religious faith."

Clarke, Arthur C. -- Essay (1990), “Credo,” Living Philosophies [ed. Clifford Fadiman] (1990 ed.)

Dave — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 16:09:06 +0000

The greatest tragedy in mankind’s entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion.

Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008) British writer
Essay (1990), “Credo,” Living Philosophies [ed. Clifford Fadiman] (1990 ed.)

Later collected in Greetings Carbon-Based Bipeds!: Collected Essays 1934-1998, Part 5, No. 10 (1999).