--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Another of Mack’s patients says that the…" description: "\"“Another of Mack’s patients says that the aliens have been taking eggs from her since she was sexually mature, and that her reproductive system baffles..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/carl-sagan-160_alien-abduction_another-of-mack-s-patients-says-that-the_1325668.jpg" --- # Another of Mack’s patients says that the aliens have been… ![“Another of Mack’s patients says that the aliens have been taking eggs from her since she was sexually mature, and that her reproductive system baffles her gynecologist. Is it baffling enough to write the case up and submit a research paper to The New England Journal of Medicine? Apparently it’s…” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/carl-sagan-160_alien-abduction_another-of-mack-s-patients-says-that-the_1325668.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/carl-sagan-160_alien-abduction_another-of-mack-s-patients-says-that-the_1325668.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/carl-sagan-160_alien-abduction_another-of-mack-s-patients-says-that-the_1325668.jpg) > ““Another of Mack’s patients says that the aliens have been taking eggs from her since she was sexually mature, and that her reproductive system baffles her gynecologist. Is it baffling enough to write the case up and submit a research paper to The New England Journal of Medicine? Apparently it’s not that baffling.”” [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A bizarre medical case is presented humorously, questioning its scientific novelty for publication **In simple terms:** A strange case may not be novel enough for a top journal Key Takeaway Even odd cases need scientific relevance for publication Themes science medicine humor Mood wry humorous Type satirical commentary When to use this quote - medical research - journal submissions - clinical curiosity Key Concepts novelty research standards skepticism Questions to Reflect On - What makes a case truly publishable? - How to balance curiosity with scientific rigor? A Different Perspective Not every oddity warrants a high‑impact paper ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alien abduction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alien-abduction/) [Baffles Gynecologist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baffles-gynecologist-4431408/) [Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evidence/) [Extraterrestrials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extraterrestrials/) [Gynecologist Baffling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gynecologist-baffling-4431407/) [Mack Patients](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mack-patients-2514889/) [Patients Says](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patients-says-4431410/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Research Paper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research-paper/) [Says Aliens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/says-aliens-4431409/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Skepticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skepticism/) ## Related quotes > [“Thou Shalt Not Mack on Your Patients”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/thou-shalt-not-mack-on-your-patients/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [“ONE OF THE main differences between standard and behavioral economics involves this concept of “free lunches.” According to the assumptions of standard economics, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/one-of-the-main-differences-between-standard-and-behavioral-economics/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [The title which I most covet is that of teacher. The writing of a research paper and the teaching of freshman calculus, and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-a-cohen/the-title-which-i-most-covet-is-that-of-teacher-the-writing-of-a/) [Marshall A. Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-a-cohen/) > [“Without wisdom, a teacher is nothing more than a research paper: a knowledge filled text which is boring and has no practical use. 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I also really love vampire folklore;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/i-really-love-folklore-i-had-read-a-lot-of-faerie-folklore-that/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“On my desk are two things: an unfinished research paper due tomorrow, and a goat, and I don't feel like doing either of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/on-my-desk-are-two-things-an-unfinished-research-paper-due-tomorrow/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) ## More by Carl Sagan > [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. 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If a human disagrees with you, let him live. 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The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/books-permit-us-to-voyage-through-time-to-tap-the-wisdom-of-our/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [We live on a hunk of rock and metal that circles a humdrum star that is one of 400 billion other stars that make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-live-on-a-hunk-of-rock-and-metal-that-circles-a-humdrum-star-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [A tiny blue dot set in a sunbeam. Here it is. That's where we live. That's home. 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Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-p-robinson/) > [If some good evidence for life after death were announced, I'd be eager to examine it; but it would have to be real scientific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/if-some-good-evidence-for-life-after-death-were-announced-i-d-be/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Alien abduction movies are always the scariest; no matter how cheesy they are, they still scare me for a week. I live by myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-coffee/alien-abduction-movies-are-always-the-scariest-no-matter-how-cheesy/) [Claire Coffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-coffee/) > [Oh yeah, Scooby, it does. You and I have gone round many a day. I’m the reason you keep thinking you’ve had alien abductions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/oh-yeah-scooby-it-does-you-and-i-have-gone-round-many-a-day-i-m-the/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“about ready to confess to the destruction of F-257, the xenocide of the Buggers and the alien abduction of Elvis, all in one go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mjke-wood/about-ready-to-confess-to-the-destruction-of-f-257-the-xenocide-of/) [Mjke Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mjke-wood/) > [“I’ve no time to wait on your feminine games. We leave now.” In true caveman style, he upended her over his shoulder despite her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-langlais/i-ve-no-time-to-wait-on-your-feminine-games-we-leave-now-in-true/) [Eve Langlais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-langlais/) > [If a large number of people who are convinced alien abductions are real are hypnotising even larger numbers of others who suspect they might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-appleyard/if-a-large-number-of-people-who-are-convinced-alien-abductions-are/) [Bryan Appleyard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-appleyard/) > [“All my parents wanted was the open road and a VW camper van. That was enough escape for them. The ocean, the night sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/all-my-parents-wanted-was-the-open-road-and-a-vw-camper-van-that-was/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [For me, science is already fantastical enough. 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