Einstein Quote by Jasper Fforde
““Remember, Thursday, that scientific thought -- indeed, any mode of thought, whether it be religious or philosophical or anything else -- is just like the fashions that we wear -- only much longer lived. It's a little like a boy band." "Scientific thought a boy band? How do you figure that?" "Well, every now and then a boy band comes along. We like it, buy the records, posters, parade them on TV, idolise them right up until --" ... "-- the next boy band?" I suggested. "Precisely. Aristotle was a boy band. A very good one but only number six or seven. He was the best boy band until Isaac Newton, but even Newton was transplanted by an even newer boy band. Same haircuts -- but different moves." "Einstein, right?" "Right. Do you see what I'm saying?" "I think so." "Good. So try and think of maybe thirty or forty boy bands past Einstein. To where we would regard Einstein as someone who glimpsed a truth, played one good chord on seven forgettable albums." "Where is this going, Dad?" "I'm nearly there. Imagine a boy band so good that you never needed another boy band ever again. Can you imagine that?””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Thursday Murder Club, 2020
Ideas and theories rise and fall like trends, each replaced by newer, more popular ones.
In simple terms: Thoughts change like fashions.
Expect ideas to be temporary.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- education
- public discourse
- scientific research
- media analysis
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we recognize lasting truths?
- What makes a theory endure?
Ideas may be dismissed too quickly when new trends appear.