Decided Quote by Arthur C. Clarke
“As three laws were good enough for Newton, I have modestly decided to stop there.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: BBC Radio 4, 1973
The speaker humorously suggests that Newton's three laws are sufficient, implying a limit to further complexity.
In simple terms: Newton's three laws are enough, so stop adding more.
Key Takeaway
Accept simplicity over unnecessary elaboration.
Themes
humor
science
simplicity
Mood
lighthearted
reflective
Type
humorous
philosophical
When to use this quote
- engineering design
- educational curricula
- policy making
- public communication
Key Concepts
Newtonian mechanics
philosophy of science
Questions to Reflect On
- Is simplicity always preferable?
- When should we seek additional principles?
A Different Perspective
Complex systems may need more than three laws for accurate modeling.
![“I know some say, let us have good laws, and no matter for the men that execute them: but let them consider, that though good laws do well, good men do better: for good laws may want good men, and be abolished or evaded [invaded in Franklin's print] by ill men; but good men will never want good…” quote by Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/373/patrick-henry-3071_franklin_i-know-some-say-let-us-have-good-laws-an_839553.jpg)
