Alcohol Quote by Iain Banks
“I think I know the real reason." "Which is?" "Alcohol in the dust clouds. Goddamn stuff is everywhere. Any lousy species ever invents the telescope and the spectroscope and starts looking in between the stars, what do they find?" He knocked the glass on the table. "Loads of stuff, but much of it alcohol." He drank from the glass. "Humanoids are the galaxy's way of trying to get rid of all that alcohol.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Player of Games, 1988
The narrator suggests that alcohol pervades the cosmos, implying a cosmic joke about humanity’s search for meaning.
In simple terms: Alcohol is everywhere, even in space.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about universal truths.
Themes
science
philosophy
humor
Mood
wry
thought‑provoking
Type
fictional dialogue
philosophical musing
When to use this quote
- space exploration
- scientific research
- philosophical debate
Key Concepts
cosmic absurdity
human curiosity
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this say about human tendency to find patterns?
- How does humor reveal deeper truths?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may oversimplify complex scientific realities.
![“[As in the case of] alcohol prohibition, illegality has driven organized crime, sent countless people to jail, and killed many thousands. Repression does not work.” quote by Sam Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/212/sam-branson-36458_alcohol_as-in-the-case-of-alcohol-prohibition-il_8703.jpg)
