--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The sonic screwdriver from Doctor Who…" description: "\"“The sonic screwdriver from Doctor Who might have worked, having been canonically established as being ineffective on wood, but nobody had ever figured..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/362/jim-c-hines-9962_doctor-who_the-sonic-screwdriver-from-doctor-who-mi_2787565.jpg" --- # The sonic screwdriver from Doctor Who might have worked… ![“The sonic screwdriver from Doctor Who might have worked, having been canonically established as being ineffective on wood, but nobody had ever figured out how to use the controls on the blasted thing.” quote by Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/362/jim-c-hines-9962_doctor-who_the-sonic-screwdriver-from-doctor-who-mi_2787565.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/362/jim-c-hines-9962_doctor-who_the-sonic-screwdriver-from-doctor-who-mi_2787565.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/362/jim-c-hines-9962_doctor-who_the-sonic-screwdriver-from-doctor-who-mi_2787565.jpg) > ““The sonic screwdriver from Doctor Who might have worked, having been canonically established as being ineffective on wood, but nobody had ever figured out how to use the controls on the blasted thing.”” [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even a powerful tool can be useless without proper knowledge of its operation. **In simple terms:** Tools need skill to be effective. Key Takeaway Learn how to use tools before relying on them. Themes technology knowledge skill limitations Mood curious practical Type advice educational When to use this quote - engineering - daily tasks - technology use Key Concepts science fiction problem solving Questions to Reflect On - What skills are required? - How can you acquire them? A Different Perspective Complex tools may be inaccessible to many. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doctor who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor-who/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) ## Related quotes > [ “\[The Doctor\] pulled the thing out of Prince Boris's mouth, waving it around. 'Oh. Blimey. This is not a spatula. What is it?' I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-goss/the-doctor-pulled-the-thing-out-of-prince-boris-s-mouth-waving-it/) [James Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-goss/) > [My mum wanted me to be a doctor because she worked in nursing. So she was quite disappointed when I came back from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ainsley-harriott/my-mum-wanted-me-to-be-a-doctor-because-she-worked-in-nursing-so-she/) [Ainsley Harriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ainsley-harriott/) > [“ Dalek Sec: The Doctor will open the Ark! The Doctor: Ha ha, the Doctor will not. Dalek Sec: You have no way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-t-davies-2/dalek-sec-the-doctor-will-open-the-ark-the-doctor-ha-ha-the-doctor/) [Russell T. Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-t-davies-2/) > [My dad was a doctor who worked at a jail. He was more like a jail administrator. My mom was a public school teacher.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-amboyer/my-dad-was-a-doctor-who-worked-at-a-jail-he-was-more-like-a-jail/) [Dan Amboyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-amboyer/) > [when life gives you lemons. Make yourself a screwdriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/when-life-gives-you-lemons-make-yourself-a-screwdriver/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [Using words to describe magic is like using a screwdriver to cut roast beef.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/using-words-to-describe-magic-is-like-using-a-screwdriver-to-cut/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“It looked very similar to the screwdriver used by the time-traveling hero of the dragons’ favorite television program.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-d-lacey/it-looked-very-similar-to-the-screwdriver-used-by-the-time-traveling/) [Chris d'Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-d-lacey/) > [I have no interest in a guy who doesn't know the right end of a screwdriver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-marie-combs/i-have-no-interest-in-a-guy-who-doesn-t-know-the-right-end-of-a/) [Holly Marie Combs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-marie-combs/) > [Always be wary of the Software Engineer who carries a screwdriver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-paul/always-be-wary-of-the-software-engineer-who-carries-a-screwdriver/) [Robert Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-paul/) > [“To a hammer, every problem is a nail,” we said on the team but we called him ‘the screwdriver’. We were confronted with stubborn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massimo-marino/to-a-hammer-every-problem-is-a-nail-we-said-on-the-team-but-we-called/) [Massimo Marino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massimo-marino/) > [“A little work with an ordinary household screwdriver can provide a handy and non-confrontational way of limiting the beer consumption of your partner. Simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-the-bfg/a-little-work-with-an-ordinary-household-screwdriver-can-provide-a/) Andre the BFG > [“He put the screwdriver on a nearby counter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/he-put-the-screwdriver-on-a-nearby-counter/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“Oh, my father sighs, if only we had a screwdriver that could unscrew wrongheaded ideas; if only we had a hammer to drive home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefano-benni/oh-my-father-sighs-if-only-we-had-a-screwdriver-that-could-unscrew/) [Stefano Benni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefano-benni/) > [“Phillips screwdriver to his temple while they gave him the business. It rips you up some, but not bad—am I speaking from personal experience,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/phillips-screwdriver-to-his-temple-while-they-gave-him-the-business/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Here," Myrnin said, his voice still gentle and low. "Amelie said you had to work. No one said you had to work alone." He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/here-myrnin-said-his-voice-still-gentle-and-low-amelie-said-you-had/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) ## More by Jim C. Hines > [...bookstores, libraries... they're the closest thing I have to a church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/bookstores-libraries-they-re-the-closest-thing-i-have-to-a-church/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [I like big books and I cannot lie. You other readers can’t deny That when a kid walks in with The Name of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/i-like-big-books-and-i-cannot-lie-you-other-readers-can-t-deny-that/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [Do you know why happily ever after is a lie?" Snow asked. "Because life is change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/do-you-know-why-happily-ever-after-is-a-lie-snow-asked-because-life/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [ “Freedom of speech does not protect you from the consequences of saying stupid shit. \[ Blog post, March 12, 2012 \]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/freedom-of-speech-does-not-protect-you-from-the-consequences-of/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [I've found that there's a pretty wide range of silly. I don't want to do outright parody, because I like keeping my own characters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/i-ve-found-that-there-s-a-pretty-wide-range-of-silly-i-don-t-want-to/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [“None of us live happily forever after. But we can choose to be happy today.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/none-of-us-live-happily-forever-after-but-we-can-choose-to-be-happy/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [“A minimum of three and a half hours. Probably closer to five.” The vent’s valve mechanism was meant to be serviced from the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/a-minimum-of-three-and-a-half-hours-probably-closer-to-five-the-vent/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [“Trust is a choice. Actually, trust is more of a desperate, hopeful guess based on limited information.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/trust-is-a-choice-actually-trust-is-more-of-a-desperate-hopeful-guess/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [ “Jeff \[the werewolf\] cocked his head and stared at me like I had just turned into a were-rabbit. Admittedly, this was a tremendous improvement… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/jeff-the-werewolf-cocked-his-head-and-stared-at-me-like-i-had-just/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [That worked great! Thank you so much. What next?" "I don't know. I didn't expect you to live through it." "Oh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/that-worked-great-thank-you-so-much-what-next-i-don-t-know-i-didn-t/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [A zombie amusement park sounds like fun, but the health code violations alone are enough to turn your stomach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/a-zombie-amusement-park-sounds-like-fun-but-the-health-code/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [Ive tried to write deep and serious. I spent years working to write a story that would make my writing group cry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/ive-tried-to-write-deep-and-serious-i-spent-years-working-to-write-a/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [“Heart of Glass”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/heart-of-glass/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [“My name is Isaac Vainio," I said. "You smashed my library. Prepare to die." Everything went better with Princess Bride references.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/my-name-is-isaac-vainio-i-said-you-smashed-my-library-prepare-to-die/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [“Forget about what goblins would do. Forget about what an adventurer would do. I need to figure out what Jig should do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/forget-about-what-goblins-would-do-forget-about-what-an-adventurer/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) [Explore all 67 Jim C. Hines quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) ## More Doctor who quotes > [The doctor who diagnosed me with ALS, or motor neuron disease, told me that it would kill me in two or three years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-doctor-who-diagnosed-me-with-als-or-motor-neuron-disease-told-me/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [Do you think that was kind? Do you think it was godlike? What would you think of a physician, if a woman came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-h-gardener/do-you-think-that-was-kind-do-you-think-it-was-godlike-what-would-you/) [Helen H. Gardener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-h-gardener/) > [Everything was so designed by Hannibal to break down Will in the first season, until Will's sanity became questionable. It's so much easier to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-fuller/everything-was-so-designed-by-hannibal-to-break-down-will-in-the/) [Bryan Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-fuller/) > [“Of course, the machinery was also operating on similar frequencies to the TARDIS, so there's a possibility that she had a hand in it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tucker/of-course-the-machinery-was-also-operating-on-similar-frequencies-to/) [Mike Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tucker/) > [“If you are an alien, how come you sound like you're from the north?' 'Lots of planets have a north!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-t-davies/if-you-are-an-alien-how-come-you-sound-like-you-re-from-the-north/) [Russell T Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-t-davies/) > [“Now here's Amy Pond, standing in the freezing ocean, holding the body of her imaginary friend, and shouting at the sea to make him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-goss/now-here-s-amy-pond-standing-in-the-freezing-ocean-holding-the-body/) [James Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-goss/) > [“Because she deserved more than me. She deserved someone who could give her the whole universe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-rayner/because-she-deserved-more-than-me-she-deserved-someone-who-could-give/) [Jacqueline Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-rayner/) > [The thing about 'Doctor Who' is it's chased around the world, so there's 50 fans hanging out at every location.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-riley/the-thing-about-doctor-who-is-it-s-chased-around-the-world-so-there-s/) [Tom Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-riley/) > [ “How are you, Rory?' \[the Doctor\] asked. I \[Rory\]... answered him. 'It's been odd being you.' 'Isn't it?' The Doctor's smile didn't quite reach… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-goss/how-are-you-rory-the-doctor-asked-i-rory-answered-him-it-s-been-odd/) [James Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-goss/) > [God has a sense of humor though and he must see funny things in us. He must also have some love. We're still here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/god-has-a-sense-of-humor-though-and-he-must-see-funny-things-in-us-he/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [David Tennant is a massive fan, and grew up dreaming he would be the Doctor Who one day. So I did feel, when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freema-agyeman/david-tennant-is-a-massive-fan-and-grew-up-dreaming-he-would-be-the/) [Freema Agyeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freema-agyeman/) > [You've got this world, these pathologists that are, day in and day out, taking apart bodies, coming up with theories about how they died…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/you-ve-got-this-world-these-pathologists-that-are-day-in-and-day-out/) [Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/) > [I'm over the moon to be involved in the 'Doctor Who' Christmas special. I can't quite believe it as it's a part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-jenkins/i-m-over-the-moon-to-be-involved-in-the-doctor-who-christmas-special/) [Katherine Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-jenkins/) > [“LEELA: 'To be, or not to be, that is the question.' That is a very stupid question! THE DOCTOR: It's Shakespeare. LEELA: And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dorney/leela-to-be-or-not-to-be-that-is-the-question-that-is-a-very-stupid/) John Dorney > [“History is a burden. Stories can make us fly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-gatiss/history-is-a-burden-stories-can-make-us-fly/) [Mark Gatiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-gatiss/) [Browse all 430 Doctor who quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor-who/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The sonic screwdriver from Doctor Who might have worked, having been canonically established as being ineffective on wood, but nobody had ever figured out how to use the controls on the blasted thing.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jim C. Hines" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/the-sonic-screwdriver-from-doctor-who-might-have-worked-having-been/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Doctor who" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/the-sonic-screwdriver-from-doctor-who-might-have-worked-having-been/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/362/jim-c-hines-9962_doctor-who_the-sonic-screwdriver-from-doctor-who-mi_2787565.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/362/jim-c-hines-9962_doctor-who_the-sonic-screwdriver-from-doctor-who-mi_2787565.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/362/jim-c-hines-9962_doctor-who_the-sonic-screwdriver-from-doctor-who-mi_2787565.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The sonic screwdriver from Doctor Who might have worked, having been canonically established as being…” — Jim C. Hines", "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": "Jim C. Hines", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The sonic screwdriver from Doctor Who...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/the-sonic-screwdriver-from-doctor-who-might-have-worked-having-been/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/the-sonic-screwdriver-from-doctor-who-might-have-worked-having-been/#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 } } ] } ```