--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s not an academic question any more to…" description: "\"“It’s not an academic question any more to ask what’s going to happen to a cloud. People very much want to know—and that means there’s money available ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/james-gleick-2623_chaos-theory_it-s-not-an-academic-question-any-more-t_602728.jpg" --- # It’s not an academic question any more to ask what’s going… ![“It’s not an academic question any more to ask what’s going to happen to a cloud. People very much want to know—and that means there’s money available for it. That problem is very much within the realm of physics and it’s a problem very much of the same caliber. You’re looking at something…” quote by James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/james-gleick-2623_chaos-theory_it-s-not-an-academic-question-any-more-t_602728.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/james-gleick-2623_chaos-theory_it-s-not-an-academic-question-any-more-t_602728.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/james-gleick-2623_chaos-theory_it-s-not-an-academic-question-any-more-t_602728.jpg) > ““It’s not an academic question any more to ask what’s going to happen to a cloud. People very much want to know—and that means there’s money available for it. That problem is very much within the realm of physics and it’s a problem very much of the same caliber. You’re looking at something complicated, and the present way of solving it is to try to look at as many points as you can, enough stuff to say where the cloud is, where the warm air is, what its velocity is, and so forth. Then you stick it into the biggest machine you can afford and you try to get an estimate of what it’s going to do next. But this is not very realistic.”” [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that predicting cloud behavior is a complex physics problem, yet current methods rely on massive computational models that are unrealistic and costly. **In simple terms:** Predicting clouds is hard and current models are unrealistic. Key Takeaway Seek better, realistic methods for atmospheric prediction. Themes physics climatology modeling technology economics Mood analytical critical inquisitive Type scientific technical analytical When to use this quote - weather forecasting - climate research - policy planning - educational curriculum - public communication Key Concepts complex systems computational limits resource allocation Questions to Reflect On - How can we improve cloud prediction without massive resources? - What alternative approaches could reduce computational costs? A Different Perspective Current models are expensive and may not capture essential dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chaos theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chaos-theory/) [Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cloud/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Reductionism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reductionism/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [“Life is a physics problem. Bodies in motion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-wasserman/life-is-a-physics-problem-bodies-in-motion/) [Robin Wasserman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-wasserman/) > [“In English we say: every cloud has a silver lining. In Naskarian we say: every struggle has a human shining.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/in-english-we-say-every-cloud-has-a-silver-lining-in-naskarian-we-say/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [I'm on cloud nine.. i wouldn't even say cloud nine... more like cloud ten... cloud nine was old news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-criss/i-m-on-cloud-nine-i-wouldn-t-even-say-cloud-nine-more-like-cloud-ten/) [Darren Criss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-criss/) > [“They're around back," she calls down when Julie and I get out. "Planning their strategy." "Good for them," I say, confident that no strategy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/they-re-around-back-she-calls-down-when-julie-and-i-get-out-planning/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [The Theory of Quantum Mechanics says that my life has to fall apart for it to come back together in a higher order. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ms-becky-from-msbatmancom/the-theory-of-quantum-mechanics-says-that-my-life-has-to-fall-apart/) Ms Becky From Msbatmancom > [I don't think there is such a thing as as a real prophet. You can never predict the future. We know why now, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/i-don-t-think-there-is-such-a-thing-as-as-a-real-prophet-you-can/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [The things that really change the world, according to Chaos theory, are the tiny things. A butterfly flaps its wings in the Amazonian jungle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-things-that-really-change-the-world-according-to-chaos-theory-are/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I believe that only short-term price swings can be predicted with any precision. The accuracy of a prediction drops off dramatically, the more distant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-bradford-raschke/i-believe-that-only-short-term-price-swings-can-be-predicted-with-any/) [Linda Bradford Raschke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-bradford-raschke/) > [“No tools are required to assemble Chaos Theory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-johnson/no-tools-are-required-to-assemble-chaos-theory/) Alex Johnson > [A good chaos theory means you have a disciplined strategy behind the scenes of how you're going to roll out policy. And then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-palmieri/a-good-chaos-theory-means-you-have-a-disciplined-strategy-behind-the/) [Jennifer Palmieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-palmieri/) > [Tantric Buddhism means that we become mature adults and we learn the reality of chaos theory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/tantric-buddhism-means-that-we-become-mature-adults-and-we-learn-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“I knew the power of a single wish, after all. Invisible and inevitable, like a butterfly that beats its wings in one corner of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/i-knew-the-power-of-a-single-wish-after-all-invisible-and-inevitable/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“I think i am too chaotic to ever get depressed. Depression somehow requires an ordered mind where the depression can get hold. Depressions just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martinus-hendrikus-benders/i-think-i-am-too-chaotic-to-ever-get-depressed-depression-somehow/) [Martinus Hendrikus Benders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martinus-hendrikus-benders/) > [Enchanting is not the word that would immediately spring to mind when describing a play that deals with fractal geometry, iterated algorithms, chaos theory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyn-gardner/enchanting-is-not-the-word-that-would-immediately-spring-to-mind-when/) [Lyn Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyn-gardner/) > [“Ideology follows the money." "Governments don't protect people, people protect governments." "To accept the legitimacy of the state is to embrace the necessity for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-samuels/ideology-follows-the-money-governments-don-t-protect-people-people/) Lawrence Samuels ## More by James Gleick > [When the Lilliputians first saw Gulliver's watch, that "wonderful kind of engine...a globe, half silver and half of some transparent metal," they identified it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/when-the-lilliputians-first-saw-gulliver-s-watch-that-wonderful-kind/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [You know, entropy is associated thermodynamically, in systems involving heat, with disorder. And in an analogous way, information is associated with disorder, which seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/you-know-entropy-is-associated-thermodynamically-in-systems-involving/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“No one has even a definitive spelling for Cawdrey’s name (Cowdrey, Cawdry). But then, no one agreed on the spelling of most names: they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/no-one-has-even-a-definitive-spelling-for-cawdrey-s-name-cowdrey/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“Where, then, is any particular gene—say, the gene for long legs in humans? This is a little like asking where is Beethoven’s Piano Sonata…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/where-then-is-any-particular-gene-say-the-gene-for-long-legs-in/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [Alphabetical order had to be invented to help people organize the first dictionaries. On the other hand, we may have reached a point where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/alphabetical-order-had-to-be-invented-to-help-people-organize-the/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [As a technology, the book is like a hammer. That is to say, it is perfect: a tool ideally suited to its task. Hammers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/as-a-technology-the-book-is-like-a-hammer-that-is-to-say-it-is/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [The universe is computing its own destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/the-universe-is-computing-its-own-destiny/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [A book is not necessarily made of paper. A book is not necessarily made to be read on a Kindle. A book is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/a-book-is-not-necessarily-made-of-paper-a-book-is-not-necessarily/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“From this point of view, the laws of science represent data compression in action. A theoretical physicist acts like a very clever coding algorithm.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/from-this-point-of-view-the-laws-of-science-represent-data/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [Children and scientists share an outlook on life. If I do this, what will happen? is both the motto of the child at play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/children-and-scientists-share-an-outlook-on-life-if-i-do-this-what/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“Your body moves always in the present, the dividing line between the past and the future, but your mind is more free. It can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/your-body-moves-always-in-the-present-the-dividing-line-between-the/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [People worry about Twitter. Twitter is banal. It's 140-character messages. By definition, you can hardly say anything profound. On the other hand, we communicate.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/people-worry-about-twitter-twitter-is-banal-it-s-140-character/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“The Difference Engine stands—for a replica works today, in the Science Museum in London—as a milestone of what could be achieved in precision engineering.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/the-difference-engine-stands-for-a-replica-works-today-in-the-science/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [It is significant that one says book lover and music lover and art lover but not record lover or CD lover or, conversely, text…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/it-is-significant-that-one-says-book-lover-and-music-lover-and-art/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“quoting Tolstoy: “I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/quoting-tolstoy-i-know-that-most-men-including-those-at-ease-with/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) [Explore all 157 James Gleick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) ## More Chaos theory quotes > [“Ideology follows the money." "Governments don't protect people, people protect governments." "To accept the legitimacy of the state is to embrace the necessity for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-samuels/ideology-follows-the-money-governments-don-t-protect-people-people/) Lawrence Samuels > [Enchanting is not the word that would immediately spring to mind when describing a play that deals with fractal geometry, iterated algorithms, chaos theory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyn-gardner/enchanting-is-not-the-word-that-would-immediately-spring-to-mind-when/) [Lyn Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyn-gardner/) > [“I think i am too chaotic to ever get depressed. Depression somehow requires an ordered mind where the depression can get hold. Depressions just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martinus-hendrikus-benders/i-think-i-am-too-chaotic-to-ever-get-depressed-depression-somehow/) [Martinus Hendrikus Benders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martinus-hendrikus-benders/) > [“I knew the power of a single wish, after all. Invisible and inevitable, like a butterfly that beats its wings in one corner of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/i-knew-the-power-of-a-single-wish-after-all-invisible-and-inevitable/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [Tantric Buddhism means that we become mature adults and we learn the reality of chaos theory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/tantric-buddhism-means-that-we-become-mature-adults-and-we-learn-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [A good chaos theory means you have a disciplined strategy behind the scenes of how you're going to roll out policy. And then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-palmieri/a-good-chaos-theory-means-you-have-a-disciplined-strategy-behind-the/) [Jennifer Palmieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-palmieri/) > [“No tools are required to assemble Chaos Theory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-johnson/no-tools-are-required-to-assemble-chaos-theory/) Alex Johnson > [I believe that only short-term price swings can be predicted with any precision. The accuracy of a prediction drops off dramatically, the more distant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-bradford-raschke/i-believe-that-only-short-term-price-swings-can-be-predicted-with-any/) [Linda Bradford Raschke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-bradford-raschke/) > [The things that really change the world, according to Chaos theory, are the tiny things. A butterfly flaps its wings in the Amazonian jungle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-things-that-really-change-the-world-according-to-chaos-theory-are/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I don't think there is such a thing as as a real prophet. You can never predict the future. We know why now, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/i-don-t-think-there-is-such-a-thing-as-as-a-real-prophet-you-can/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [The Theory of Quantum Mechanics says that my life has to fall apart for it to come back together in a higher order. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ms-becky-from-msbatmancom/the-theory-of-quantum-mechanics-says-that-my-life-has-to-fall-apart/) Ms Becky From Msbatmancom > [“They're around back," she calls down when Julie and I get out. "Planning their strategy." "Good for them," I say, confident that no strategy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/they-re-around-back-she-calls-down-when-julie-and-i-get-out-planning/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [You've never heard of Chaos theory? Non-linear equations? Strange attractors? Ms. Sattler, I refuse to believe you're not familiar with the concept of attraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/you-ve-never-heard-of-chaos-theory-non-linear-equations-strange/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [It used to be thought that the events that changed the world were things like big bombs, maniac politicians, huge earthquakes, or vast population…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-used-to-be-thought-that-the-events-that-changed-the-world-were/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Whenever you have dynamic interactions between 300 million people and the American economy acting in really complex ways, that introduces a degree of almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-silver/whenever-you-have-dynamic-interactions-between-300-million-people-and/) [Nate Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-silver/) [Browse all 54 Chaos theory quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chaos-theory/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It’s not an academic question any more to ask what’s going to happen to a cloud. 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