---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After a fairly shaky start to the day…"
description: "\"“After a fairly shaky start to the day, Arthur's mind was beginning to reassemble itself from the shell-shocked fragments the previous day had left him..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23c/douglas-adams-122_drink_after-a-fairly-shaky-start-to-the-day-ar_226038.jpg"
---

#  After a fairly shaky start to the day, Arthur's mind was…

![“After a fairly shaky start to the day, Arthur's mind was beginning to reassemble itself from the shell-shocked fragments the previous day had left him with. He had found a Nutri-Matic machine which had provided him with a plastic cup filled with a liquid that was almost, but not quite, entirely…” quote by Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23c/douglas-adams-122_drink_after-a-fairly-shaky-start-to-the-day-ar_226038.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23c/douglas-adams-122_drink_after-a-fairly-shaky-start-to-the-day-ar_226038.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23c/douglas-adams-122_drink_after-a-fairly-shaky-start-to-the-day-ar_226038.jpg)

> ““After a fairly shaky start to the day, Arthur's mind was beginning to reassemble itself from the shell-shocked fragments the previous day had left him with. He had found a Nutri-Matic machine which had provided him with a plastic cup filled with a liquid that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea. The way it functioned was very interesting. When the Drink button was pressed it made an instant but highly detailed examination of the subject's taste buds, a spectroscopic analysis of the subject's metabolism and then sent tiny experimental signals down the neural pathways to the taste centers of the subject's brain to see what was likely to go down well. However, no one knew quite why it did this because it invariably delivered a cupful of liquid that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea.””

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A futuristic device analyzes taste and metabolism to create a unique beverage, highlighting technology's uncanny ability to personalize experiences.

**In simple terms:** A machine creates a personalized drink by analyzing taste and metabolism.

Key Takeaway

Embrace curiosity about how tech can tailor experiences.

Themes

technology personalization science fiction humor

Mood

playful speculative thought‑provoking

Type

literary humorous science‑fiction

When to use this quote

- daily routine
- food innovation
- science fiction storytelling
- character development

Key Concepts

spectroscopy neural signaling taste perception

Questions to Reflect On

- How does personalization affect our perception of authenticity?
- What ethical concerns arise from neural manipulation?

A Different Perspective

The device's purpose and impact remain ambiguous, leaving its significance unclear.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Tea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tea/)

## Related quotes

> [“He had found a Nutri-Matic machine which had provided him with a plastic cup filled with a liquid that was almost, but not quite,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/he-had-found-a-nutri-matic-machine-which-had-provided-him-with-a/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [“Of course, my pops put chili oil in it immediately, but I wanted to taste the broth: intense, deep, and mind-numbing. It was one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-huang/of-course-my-pops-put-chili-oil-in-it-immediately-but-i-wanted-to/)

[Eddie Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-huang/)

> [Definitely, as I get older and my taste buds change, I want to do different things. I'm not ready for directing yet, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-b-jordan/definitely-as-i-get-older-and-my-taste-buds-change-i-want-to-do/)

[Michael B. Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-b-jordan/)

> [I have my mother who is an Irish-Italian, and my father who is African, so I have the taste buds of an Italian and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-keys/i-have-my-mother-who-is-an-irish-italian-and-my-father-who-is-african/)

[Alicia Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-keys/)

> [I can taste a meal and tell you every spice that's in there. I have taste buds like Betty Grable's legs - they should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-resnick/i-can-taste-a-meal-and-tell-you-every-spice-that-s-in-there-i-have/)

[Lynda Resnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-resnick/)

> [See shes on my tonge my taste buds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-and-lil-wayne/see-shes-on-my-tonge-my-taste-buds/)

Claudia And Lil Wayne

> [Marmalade in the morning has the same effect on taste buds that a cold shower has on the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanine-larmoth/marmalade-in-the-morning-has-the-same-effect-on-taste-buds-that-a/)

Jeanine Larmoth

> [“But his taste buds are as dysfunctional as the volume control on his voice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-backman/but-his-taste-buds-are-as-dysfunctional-as-the-volume-control-on-his/)

[Fredrik Backman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-backman/)

> [I think I can capture the taste buds of the average right-wing conservative who loves barbecue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-seale/i-think-i-can-capture-the-taste-buds-of-the-average-right-wing/)

[Bobby Seale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-seale/)

> [People always make this totally artificial distinction between what is commercial and what is good. They quote that maxim "Nobody ever lost money underestimating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/people-always-make-this-totally-artificial-distinction-between-what/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [“Life is worth living when God throws His Divine dice in your favor. HE has slow-stirred my life with Wisdom and discernment about all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-bond/life-is-worth-living-when-god-throws-his-divine-dice-in-your-favor-he/)

[Tracey Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-bond/)

> [“A part of the problem is that overconsumption of sugar seems to alter our taste buds. As they become used to it, our bodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rangan-chatterjee/a-part-of-the-problem-is-that-overconsumption-of-sugar-seems-to-alter/)

Rangan Chatterjee

> [“Ludmilla, now you are being read. Your body is being subjected to a systematic reading, through channels of tactile information, visual, olfactory, and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/ludmilla-now-you-are-being-read-your-body-is-being-subjected-to-a/)

[Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/)

> [“Also today when you sit down to eat your meal, no matter where you are, try to think about the many people who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryusho-jeffus/also-today-when-you-sit-down-to-eat-your-meal-no-matter-where-you-are/)

[Ryusho Jeffus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryusho-jeffus/)

> [“I decline the coffee. I don't drink it, because no matter how much sugar I put into it, it still tastes like ass-water to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katja-millay/i-decline-the-coffee-i-don-t-drink-it-because-no-matter-how-much/)

[Katja Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katja-millay/)

## More by Douglas Adams

> [2,000 years ago one man got nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be if everyone was nice to each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/2-000-years-ago-one-man-got-nailed-to-a-tree-for-saying-how-great-it/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [What a wonderfully exciting cough,' said the little man, quite startled by it, 'do you mind if I join you?' And with that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/what-a-wonderfully-exciting-cough-said-the-little-man-quite-startled/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [The technology involved in making anything invisible is so infinitely complex that nine hundred and ninety-nine billion, nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-technology-involved-in-making-anything-invisible-is-so-infinitely/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [One is never alone with a rubber duck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/one-is-never-alone-with-a-rubber-duck/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [This must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/this-must-be-thursday-i-never-could-get-the-hang-of-thursdays/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [There are some oddities in the perspective with which we see the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/there-are-some-oddities-in-the-perspective-with-which-we-see-the-world/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [“Eight hours West sat a man alone on a beach mourning an inexplicable loss. He could only think of his loss in little packets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/eight-hours-west-sat-a-man-alone-on-a-beach-mourning-an-inexplicable/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [“The Universe, the whole infinite Universe. The infinite suns, the infinite distances between them, and yourself an invisible dot on an invisible dot, infinitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-universe-the-whole-infinite-universe-the-infinite-suns-the/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [People always make this totally artificial distinction between what is commercial and what is good. They quote that maxim "Nobody ever lost money underestimating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/people-always-make-this-totally-artificial-distinction-between-what/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [Any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/any-man-who-can-hitch-the-length-and-breadth-of-the-galaxy-rough-it/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [ Does God know he \[exists\]?" "Of course he does. Otherwise, you could not have asked the question, and I could not have answered. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/does-god-know-he-exists-of-course-he-does-otherwise-you-could-not/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [“When we told our guide that we didn't want to go to all the tourist places he took us instead to the places where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/when-we-told-our-guide-that-we-didn-t-want-to-go-to-all-the-tourist/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [“But Douglas was a genius, because he saw the world differently, and more importantly, he could communicate the world he saw.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/but-douglas-was-a-genius-because-he-saw-the-world-differently-and/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [“The bits which did mean anything were often so wonderfully buried that no one could ever spot them slipping past in the avalanche of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-bits-which-did-mean-anything-were-often-so-wonderfully-buried/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [You come to me for advice, but you can't cope with anything you don't recognize. Hmmm. So we'll have to tell you something you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/you-come-to-me-for-advice-but-you-can-t-cope-with-anything-you-don-t/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

[Explore all 1,168 Douglas Adams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

## More Drink quotes

> [When you drink from the stream remember the spring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinese-proverbs/when-you-drink-from-the-stream-remember-the-spring/)

Chinese Proverbs

> [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [I don't drink much anymore, but when I traveled with Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, I used to drink like I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-drink-much-anymore-but-when-i-traveled-with-frank-sinatra-god/)

[Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/)

> [I would drink gallons of coffee a day. Even now, off caffeine, I talk faster than anyone you've ever met. I finally recognized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-englander/i-would-drink-gallons-of-coffee-a-day-even-now-off-caffeine-i-talk/)

[Nathan Englander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-englander/)

> [I do a lot of vocal exercises and drink hot tea, which I hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darci-lynne-farmer/i-do-a-lot-of-vocal-exercises-and-drink-hot-tea-which-i-hate/)

[Darci Lynne Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darci-lynne-farmer/)

> [“Never date a man who can’t out-drink you in tequila.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-l-maxwell/never-date-a-man-who-can-t-out-drink-you-in-tequila/)

[Gina L. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-l-maxwell/)

> [I'm Catholic and I can't commit suicide, but I plan to drink myself to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-m-catholic-and-i-can-t-commit-suicide-but-i-plan-to-drink-myself-to/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [“Obediently, I squash into a corner with a glass of cider. A chalkboard menu declares that the special of the day is stargazy pie.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-madeleine/obediently-i-squash-into-a-corner-with-a-glass-of-cider-a-chalkboard/)

[Laura Madeleine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-madeleine/)

> [I still get nervous about singing. I drink tea with honey and lemon before every concert. And I need to have scented candles in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-still-get-nervous-about-singing-i-drink-tea-with-honey-and-lemon/)

[Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/)

> [“I don't drink since it ruined the best thing I ever had.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-lauren/i-don-t-drink-since-it-ruined-the-best-thing-i-ever-had/)

[Kimberly Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-lauren/)

> [Before everyshow I do like a thousand... I drink ten glasses of water!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-brothers/before-everyshow-i-do-like-a-thousand-i-drink-ten-glasses-of-water/)

[Jonas Brothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-brothers/)

> [I've never even been into those supplements or any of that. I don't even drink energy shakes. I'm not into that kind of stuff.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pierce/i-ve-never-even-been-into-those-supplements-or-any-of-that-i-don-t/)

[Paul Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pierce/)

> [I get pretty focused when I start working on something. And I drink a lot of water, way more than most people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-woodman/i-get-pretty-focused-when-i-start-working-on-something-and-i-drink-a/)

[Nick Woodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-woodman/)

> [Like the water of a deep stream, love is always too much. We did not make it. Though we drink till we burst, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/like-the-water-of-a-deep-stream-love-is-always-too-much-we-did-not/)

[Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/)

> [I spend a lot of time loathing the sentences that I put down on the page. Once I'm past that phase, it doesn't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/i-spend-a-lot-of-time-loathing-the-sentences-that-i-put-down-on-the/)

[Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/)

Browse all 5,653 Drink quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“After a fairly shaky start to the day, Arthur's mind was beginning to reassemble itself from the shell-shocked fragments the previous day had left him with. He had found a Nutri-Matic machine which had provided him with a plastic cup filled with a liquid that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea. The way it functioned was very interesting. When the Drink button was pressed it made an instant but highly detailed examination of the subject's taste buds, a spectroscopic analysis of the subject's metabolism and then sent tiny experimental signals down the neural pathways to the taste centers of the subject's brain to see what was likely to go down well. However, no one knew quite why it did this because it invariably delivered a cupful of liquid that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Douglas Adams"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/after-a-fairly-shaky-start-to-the-day-arthur-s-mind-was-beginning-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Drink"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/after-a-fairly-shaky-start-to-the-day-arthur-s-mind-was-beginning-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23c/douglas-adams-122_drink_after-a-fairly-shaky-start-to-the-day-ar_226038.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23c/douglas-adams-122_drink_after-a-fairly-shaky-start-to-the-day-ar_226038.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23c/douglas-adams-122_drink_after-a-fairly-shaky-start-to-the-day-ar_226038.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“After a fairly shaky start to the day, Arthur's mind was beginning to reassemble itself from the…” — Douglas Adams",
                "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": "Douglas Adams",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“After a fairly shaky start to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/after-a-fairly-shaky-start-to-the-day-arthur-s-mind-was-beginning-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/after-a-fairly-shaky-start-to-the-day-arthur-s-mind-was-beginning-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
