--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think I set myself on a course to…" description: "\"I think I set myself on a course to become a scientist around about the time that Carl Sagan's 'Cosmos' series was on television, and there really was ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/238/alastair-reynolds-2186_cosmos_i-think-i-set-myself-on-a-course-to-beco_3226176.jpg" --- # I think I set myself on a course to become a scientist… ![“I think I set myself on a course to become a scientist around about the time that Carl Sagan's 'Cosmos' series was on television, and there really was no going back for me at that point, and then I went on to study space science and then get my Ph.D., then go aboard and work in the European Space…” quote by Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/238/alastair-reynolds-2186_cosmos_i-think-i-set-myself-on-a-course-to-beco_3226176.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/238/alastair-reynolds-2186_cosmos_i-think-i-set-myself-on-a-course-to-beco_3226176.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/238/alastair-reynolds-2186_cosmos_i-think-i-set-myself-on-a-course-to-beco_3226176.jpg) > “I think I set myself on a course to become a scientist around about the time that Carl Sagan's 'Cosmos' series was on television, and there really was no going back for me at that point, and then I went on to study space science and then get my Ph.D., then go aboard and work in the European Space Agency.” [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A childhood inspiration from a TV series set a lifelong trajectory toward space science and a career at ESA. **In simple terms:** Early inspiration shaped a scientific career. Key Takeaway Nurture curiosity early. Themes inspiration career science space exploration Mood hopeful motivational Type biographical inspirational When to use this quote - STEM education - career counseling - space research - public outreach Key Concepts role models educational media Questions to Reflect On - What early experiences guided your path? - How can we broaden access to inspiring content? A Different Perspective Not everyone can access such opportunities; socioeconomic barriers exist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cosmos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cosmos/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Space science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space-science/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [ I'd like the \[Cosmos\] series to be so visually stimulating that somebody who isn't even interested in the concepts will just watch for the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/i-d-like-the-cosmos-series-to-be-so-visually-stimulating-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Please join me in applauding the ESA - European Space Agency’s historic efforts with the Rosetta Mission and landing a spacecraft on rotating comet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/please-join-me-in-applauding-the-esa-european-space-agency-s-historic/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [Cassini was an international undertaking, led by NASA and the European Space Agency and designed to be, in every dimension, a dramatic advance over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-porco/cassini-was-an-international-undertaking-led-by-nasa-and-the-european/) [Carolyn Porco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-porco/) > [If consciousness is the ground of being rather than an epiphenomenon of physical processes, we may find that a basic question asked by modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/if-consciousness-is-the-ground-of-being-rather-than-an-epiphenomenon/) [Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/) > [The apologists for space science always seem over-impressed by engineering trivia and make far too much of non-stick frying pans and perfect ball-bearings. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/the-apologists-for-space-science-always-seem-over-impressed-by/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [Our ancestors had displayed great strengths in space science. What people like Aryabhata had said centuries ago are being recognised by science today. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/our-ancestors-had-displayed-great-strengths-in-space-science-what/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [We're looking at Earth science, observing our planet. Also space science, looking at the ozone in the atmosphere around our Earth. Also looking at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurel-clark/we-re-looking-at-earth-science-observing-our-planet-also-space/) [Laurel Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurel-clark/) > [Some people have told me I'm space-bound because of my love for space science and I couldn't agree more. I've always believed in breaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pettersen/some-people-have-told-me-i-m-space-bound-because-of-my-love-for-space/) David Pettersen > [Space is for everybody. It's not just for a few people in science or math, or for a select group of astronauts. That's our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/space-is-for-everybody-it-s-not-just-for-a-few-people-in-science-or/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) > [The dinosaurs became extinct because they didn't have a space program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/the-dinosaurs-became-extinct-because-they-didn-t-have-a-space-program-2/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [There is a history of thinking about space science from an environmental ethics perspective. And part of what I want to do is turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-grinspoon/there-is-a-history-of-thinking-about-space-science-from-an/) [David Grinspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-grinspoon/) > [“The American and Russian capabilities in space science and technology mesh; they interdigitate. Each is strong where the other is weak. This is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-american-and-russian-capabilities-in-space-science-and-technology/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Just as the lunar landings inspired many young people to consider careers in space and related fields, the solution of the challenging instrumentation problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-roman/just-as-the-lunar-landings-inspired-many-young-people-to-consider/) [Nancy Roman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-roman/) > [“The China National Space Agency (created in 1993) may be the formal NASA equivalent, facilitating international agreements and cooperation, but it still operates in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-chang/the-china-national-space-agency-created-in-1993-may-be-the-formal/) [Gordon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-chang/) > [“Seriously hairy shit was going down on a regular basis.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/seriously-hairy-shit-was-going-down-on-a-regular-basis/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) ## More by Alastair Reynolds > [“We have made some collective mistakes as a species, it’s true – invested too much power in things we can’t see, let alone control.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/we-have-made-some-collective-mistakes-as-a-species-it-s-true-invested/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [“So much for the tolerant acceptance of the other. We’re forging out into deep space – who knows what we’ll meet out there? If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/so-much-for-the-tolerant-acceptance-of-the-other-we-re-forging-out/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [“Believe me, when you're dealing with infectious alien mind parasites, I always find primitive is best." Then, calmly, almost as if it were a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/believe-me-when-you-re-dealing-with-infectious-alien-mind-parasites-i/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [“There's a vorg loose," Meroka explained. "In case that escaped your attention. Ricasso's doing his bit for Swarm, trying to kill the thing before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/there-s-a-vorg-loose-meroka-explained-in-case-that-escaped-your/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [“The two men -- Fray and Malkin -- were standing near each other. They were not unarmed. They were quite seriously not unarmed. Both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/the-two-men-fray-and-malkin-were-standing-near-each-other-they-were/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [I couldn't think of anything more pointless than reading a piece of fiction written by a robot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/i-couldn-t-think-of-anything-more-pointless-than-reading-a-piece-of/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [When I'm working on one book, part of my imagination is thinking ahead to the next one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/when-i-m-working-on-one-book-part-of-my-imagination-is-thinking-ahead/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [There is enough material in the Kuiper Belt to build anything out there. We could gobble up all the little asteroids, filtering out all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/there-is-enough-material-in-the-kuiper-belt-to-build-anything-out/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [Victory loses its meaning without the memory of what you've vanquished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/victory-loses-its-meaning-without-the-memory-of-what-you-ve-vanquished/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [“I don't know." That was typical Sajaki; like all the genuinely clever people Sylveste had met he knew better than to feign understanding where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/i-don-t-know-that-was-typical-sajaki-like-all-the-genuinely-clever/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [Autocratic governments are masters of self-contradiction. They say one thing, do another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/autocratic-governments-are-masters-of-self-contradiction-they-say-one/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [Speaking for myself, I really struggle to pinpoint whether I became a scientist because I like science fiction, or did I gravitate to science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/speaking-for-myself-i-really-struggle-to-pinpoint-whether-i-became-a/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [“It’s not the span of time that counts, but what you do with it. While you humans have been grubbing around the galaxy, looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/it-s-not-the-span-of-time-that-counts-but-what-you-do-with-it-while/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [Dreams of warp drives and hyperspace are just that - dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/dreams-of-warp-drives-and-hyperspace-are-just-that-dreams/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [I had - and continued to have - great fun exploring the Revelation Space universe, but it was always clear to me that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/i-had-and-continued-to-have-great-fun-exploring-the-revelation-space/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) [Explore all 176 Alastair Reynolds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) ## More Cosmos quotes > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [... informed ignorance provides the natural state of mind for research scientists at the ever-shifting frontiers of knowledge. People who believe themselves ignorant of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/informed-ignorance-provides-the-natural-state-of-mind-for-research/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“The necessity of nothingness does not create anything. The real value and meaning of the Being are not in its necessity but in its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/the-necessity-of-nothingness-does-not-create-anything-the-real-value/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [The entire cosmos is one vast burning bush, permeated by the fire of the divine power and glory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kallistos-ware/the-entire-cosmos-is-one-vast-burning-bush-permeated-by-the-fire-of/) [Kallistos Ware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kallistos-ware/) > [If the estimated age of the cosmos were shortened to seventy-two years, a human life would take about ten seconds. But look at time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-grudin/if-the-estimated-age-of-the-cosmos-were-shortened-to-seventy-two/) [Robert Grudin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-grudin/) > [I don't want to be the embarrassment of the galaxy to have had the power to deflect an asteroid, and then not and end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-don-t-want-to-be-the-embarrassment-of-the-galaxy-to-have-had-the/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“When a person dies, they cross over from the realm of freedom to the realm of slavery. Life is freedom, and dying is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/when-a-person-dies-they-cross-over-from-the-realm-of-freedom-to-the/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [“We take off into the cosmos, ready for anything: for solitude, for hardship, for exhaustion, death. Modesty forbids us to say so, but there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanis-aw-lem/we-take-off-into-the-cosmos-ready-for-anything-for-solitude-for/) [Stanisław Lem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanis-aw-lem/) > [As George Bernard Shaw observed: "All great truths begin as blasphemies." Yet I have to say, the idea that there is intelligent life elsewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/as-george-bernard-shaw-observed-all-great-truths-begin-as-blasphemies/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [If the purpose of the universe was to create humans then the cosmos was embarrassingly inefficient about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/if-the-purpose-of-the-universe-was-to-create-humans-then-the-cosmos/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Finally, if life happened by chance on this earth and evolved upward, then it could seemingly happen elsewhere in the universe. But if, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-hunt/finally-if-life-happened-by-chance-on-this-earth-and-evolved-upward/) [Dave Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-hunt/) > [“Zero is a gateway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/zero-is-a-gateway/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [Just as a wave is a movement of the whole ocean, you are the energy of the cosmos. Don't underestimate your power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/just-as-a-wave-is-a-movement-of-the-whole-ocean-you-are-the-energy-of/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Science is not just there for technology. It's part of what addressing who you are in the universe and understanding your place in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/science-is-not-just-there-for-technology-it-s-part-of-what-addressing/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [“the entire operating system of the cosmos could be summed up by a single overriding command: spread energy!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/the-entire-operating-system-of-the-cosmos-could-be-summed-up-by-a/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) [Browse all 783 Cosmos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cosmos/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think I set myself on a course to become a scientist around about the time that Carl Sagan's 'Cosmos' series was on television, and there really was no going back for me at that point, and then I went on to study space science and then get my Ph.D., then go aboard and work in the European Space Agency.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alastair Reynolds" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/i-think-i-set-myself-on-a-course-to-become-a-scientist-around-about/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cosmos" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/i-think-i-set-myself-on-a-course-to-become-a-scientist-around-about/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/238/alastair-reynolds-2186_cosmos_i-think-i-set-myself-on-a-course-to-beco_3226176.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/238/alastair-reynolds-2186_cosmos_i-think-i-set-myself-on-a-course-to-beco_3226176.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/238/alastair-reynolds-2186_cosmos_i-think-i-set-myself-on-a-course-to-beco_3226176.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think I set myself on a course to become a scientist around about the time that Carl Sagan's 'Cosmos'…” — Alastair Reynolds", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alastair Reynolds", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think I set myself on...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/i-think-i-set-myself-on-a-course-to-become-a-scientist-around-about/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/i-think-i-set-myself-on-a-course-to-become-a-scientist-around-about/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```