--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s not a serious project,” Laurence…" description: "\"“It’s not a serious project,” Laurence said as they crossed Castro Street. “Milton doesn’t think the human race will still be here in a hundred years, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a86/charlie-jane-anders-14361_human-race_it-s-not-a-serious-project-laurence-said_928839.jpg" --- # It’s not a serious project,” Laurence said as they crossed… ![“It’s not a serious project,” Laurence said as they crossed Castro Street. “Milton doesn’t think the human race will still be here in a hundred years, much less a few thousand. This is just his way of hedging his bets. Or assuaging his conscience.” “It’s gotten me three free trips to Greenland,”…” quote by Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a86/charlie-jane-anders-14361_human-race_it-s-not-a-serious-project-laurence-said_928839.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a86/charlie-jane-anders-14361_human-race_it-s-not-a-serious-project-laurence-said_928839.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a86/charlie-jane-anders-14361_human-race_it-s-not-a-serious-project-laurence-said_928839.jpg) > ““It’s not a serious project,” Laurence said as they crossed Castro Street. “Milton doesn’t think the human race will still be here in a hundred years, much less a few thousand. This is just his way of hedging his bets. Or assuaging his conscience.” “It’s gotten me three free trips to Greenland,” Isobel said. “Honestly, I think Milton’s opinions depend on how many interns he’s killed today.” She half-winked, to indicate this was a joke and Milton killed no interns. During the dinner, Isobel talked more about her career transition, from rockets to Milton’s Ten Percent Project. “I used to dream about rockets.” Isobel scooped a corn chip into the communal pico de gallo. “Every single night, for months and months. After we pulled the plug on Nimble Aerospace. I had these weird dreams that there was a rocket launch going up any minute, and we’d misplaced the final telemetry. Or we were sending up a rocket, and it looked beautiful and proud shooting up into the air, and then it collided with a jumbo jet. Or worst of all was the dreams where nothing went wrong, rockets just soared for hours, and I sat on the ground watching with tears in my eyes.”” [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The conversation blends satire about speculative futures with personal career doubts, highlighting fear of failure and longing for purpose. **In simple terms:** A mix of humor and anxiety about future and career choices. Key Takeaway Reflect on true motivations. Themes career anxiety future uncertainty humor Mood reflective melancholic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - job transition - creative projects - scientific research - personal reflection Key Concepts speculative fiction personal narrative existential doubt Questions to Reflect On - What drives your career dreams? - How do you confront fear of failure? A Different Perspective Satire may mask deeper concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Human race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-race/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Tears in my eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tears-in-my-eyes/) ## Related quotes > [ I was approached by the filmmakers. 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I don't know what I'll do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-ochoa/and-there-will-be-tears-in-my-eyes-i-m-so-afraid-to-go-through-the/) Angie Ochoa > [Eyes open wide, looking at the heavens with a tear in my eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ashcroft/eyes-open-wide-looking-at-the-heavens-with-a-tear-in-my-eye/) [Richard Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ashcroft/) > [“When I look at a beautiful painting I have tears in my eyes, but not when I look at my children. That does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-ove-knausgard/when-i-look-at-a-beautiful-painting-i-have-tears-in-my-eyes-but-not/) [Karl Ove Knausgård](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-ove-knausgard/) > [Dear Heart, I know I let you down so many times. I've been going through a lot you can see the tears in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dear-heart-i-know-i-let-you-down-so-many-times-i-ve-been-going/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Terrorism is obviously on everybody's mind. The other day my son says to me, 'Daddy, how come the bad men hate us?' How sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-giraldo/terrorism-is-obviously-on-everybody-s-mind-the-other-day-my-son-says/) [Greg Giraldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-giraldo/) > [Tell him I hate him. Tell him I dont need him. Tell him to have a great life without me. Tell him he means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/tell-him-i-hate-him-tell-him-i-dont-need-him-tell-him-to-have-a-great/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Charlie Jane Anders > [“greatest natural disaster in America’s history. The storm’s supermassive fetch, hurling the already-swollen ocean onto land. High winds and twenty inches of rain shredding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/greatest-natural-disaster-in-america-s-history-the-storm-s/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [People really don't understand the technology they're using. It's been talked about a lot. Apple products in particular are designed in such a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/people-really-don-t-understand-the-technology-they-re-using-it-s-been/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“He was practicing active listening.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/he-was-practicing-active-listening/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“kids shouted, “Larry, Larry, Quite Contrary!” and held him underwater, and threw him out of the airplane early, and forced him to do improv…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/kids-shouted-larry-larry-quite-contrary-and-held-him-underwater-and/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“As Dorothy J. Heydt famously said, the eight deadliest words for any work of fiction are 'I don't care what happens to these people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/as-dorothy-j-heydt-famously-said-the-eight-deadliest-words-for-any/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“The sheer volume of bad news had gotten beyond anybody’s ability to process into a narrative.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/the-sheer-volume-of-bad-news-had-gotten-beyond-anybody-s-ability-to/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“A society that has to burn witches to hold itself together is a society that has already failed, and just doesn’t know it yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/a-society-that-has-to-burn-witches-to-hold-itself-together-is-a/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“Now Laurence felt self-conscious. People should not see him having a crazy argument with his Caddy—with Peregrine. He hustled away from the beach, away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/now-laurence-felt-self-conscious-people-should-not-see-him-having-a/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“The not-understanding was worse than anything else, it was like a mystery and a wound that couldn't heal and an unforgivable failure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/the-not-understanding-was-worse-than-anything-else-it-was-like-a/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“What was it?” Serafina wandered off to look at yogurt-covered pretzels, probably annoyed at him for talking on the phone. Her long fingers lifted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/what-was-it-serafina-wandered-off-to-look-at-yogurt-covered-pretzels/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [If you're a writer, you don't serve genres. Genres serve you. Like, if you're writing a science fiction story set on a spaceship, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/if-you-re-a-writer-you-don-t-serve-genres-genres-serve-you-like-if/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“When Laurence was old enough to do what he liked, he would be old enough to understand he couldn’t do what he liked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/when-laurence-was-old-enough-to-do-what-he-liked-he-would-be-old/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“ONE DAY THE Singularity would elevate humans to cybernetic superbeings, and maybe then people would say what they meant. Probably not, though.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/one-day-the-singularity-would-elevate-humans-to-cybernetic/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“LAURENCE AND SERAFINA went to an organic burger place, locally sourced, etc., and Serafina talked about her emotional robots. “You won’t believe the heuristics.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/laurence-and-serafina-went-to-an-organic-burger-place-locally-sourced/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“The secret to a successful webcomic is to trick people into believing they will only get all the jokes if they read regularly. By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/the-secret-to-a-successful-webcomic-is-to-trick-people-into-believing/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) [Explore all 47 Charlie Jane Anders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) ## More Human race quotes > [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [Poetry fettered, fetters the human race. Nations are destroyed or flourish in proportion as their poetry, painting, and music are destroyed or flourish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/poetry-fettered-fetters-the-human-race-nations-are-destroyed-or/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [“At the moment, then, of Man’s victory over Nature, we find the whole human race subjected to some individual men, and those individuals subjected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/at-the-moment-then-of-man-s-victory-over-nature-we-find-the-whole/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“It occurred to me that the death of his grazing land hurt him more, incomparably more than the death of the human race. 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Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-p-johnson/) [Browse all 2,205 Human race quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-race/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It’s not a serious project,” Laurence said as they crossed Castro Street. “Milton doesn’t think the human race will still be here in a hundred years, much less a few thousand. This is just his way of hedging his bets. Or assuaging his conscience.” “It’s gotten me three free trips to Greenland,” Isobel said. “Honestly, I think Milton’s opinions depend on how many interns he’s killed today.” She half-winked, to indicate this was a joke and Milton killed no interns. During the dinner, Isobel talked more about her career transition, from rockets to Milton’s Ten Percent Project. “I used to dream about rockets.” Isobel scooped a corn chip into the communal pico de gallo. “Every single night, for months and months. After we pulled the plug on Nimble Aerospace. I had these weird dreams that there was a rocket launch going up any minute, and we’d misplaced the final telemetry. Or we were sending up a rocket, and it looked beautiful and proud shooting up into the air, and then it collided with a jumbo jet. 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