--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was a transition going on - Baghdad…" description: "\"There was a transition going on - Baghdad being the intellectual capital of the world where major advances were made in agriculture and mathematics and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_agriculture_there-was-a-transition-going-on-baghdad_1461691.png" --- # There was a transition going on - Baghdad being the… ![“There was a transition going on - Baghdad being the intellectual capital of the world where major advances were made in agriculture and mathematics and engineering and medicine and astronomy, and then that all sort of collapsed. And I was trying to understand how such a intellectually fertile…” quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_agriculture_there-was-a-transition-going-on-baghdad_1461691.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_agriculture_there-was-a-transition-going-on-baghdad_1461691.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_agriculture_there-was-a-transition-going-on-baghdad_1461691.png) > “There was a transition going on - Baghdad being the intellectual capital of the world where major advances were made in agriculture and mathematics and engineering and medicine and astronomy, and then that all sort of collapsed. And I was trying to understand how such a intellectually fertile environment can lose its compass bearing. Because I think about the creative centers today - countries, or even regions. Will Silicon Valley always be as innovative? Will the United States be innovative, or will we become complacent?” [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative hubs can decline due to complacency, loss of purpose, or external pressures, even after great achievements. **In simple terms:** Great societies can lose their edge. Key Takeaway Foster curiosity and avoid complacency. Themes innovation civilization decline Mood inquisitive analytical Type historical strategic When to use this quote - policy making - education reform - regional development Key Concepts history economics culture Questions to Reflect On - What factors sustain innovation? - How can societies prevent stagnation? A Different Perspective Complex causes may be oversimplified. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agriculture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agriculture/) [Astronomy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronomy/) [Baghdad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baghdad/) [Compass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compass/) [Complacent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complacent/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Fertile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fertile/) [Innovative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovative/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Intellectual capital](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual-capital/) [Intellectually Fertile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectually-fertile-2410258/) [Loses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loses/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Majors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majors/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Regions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regions/) [Silicon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silicon/) [Silicon valley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silicon-valley/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [States Innovative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states-innovative-3375137/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Transition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transition/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [United](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) [Valley Innovative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/valley-innovative-5282297/) [Valleys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/valleys/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“Conversely, high-reactive children may be more likely to develop into artists and writers and scientists and thinkers because their aversion to novelty causes them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/conversely-high-reactive-children-may-be-more-likely-to-develop-into/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [The United States is the most innovative country in the world. But our leadership could slip away if we fail to properly fund primary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bingaman/the-united-states-is-the-most-innovative-country-in-the-world-but-our/) [Jeff Bingaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bingaman/) > [How about we let the states be innovative on Medicaid and do much better and smarter things?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-scalise/how-about-we-let-the-states-be-innovative-on-medicaid-and-do-much/) [Steve Scalise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-scalise/) > [The cosmic calendar is quite a fertile mode for communicating how small we are over time and space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-cosmic-calendar-is-quite-a-fertile-mode-for-communicating-how/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [For me, one of the most fertile consequences of the space program is the extent to which it stimulates people to innovate because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/for-me-one-of-the-most-fertile-consequences-of-the-space-program-is/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Mars once was wet and fertile. It's now bone dry. Something bad happened on Mars. I want to know what happened on Mars so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/mars-once-was-wet-and-fertile-it-s-now-bone-dry-something-bad/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Intellectual capital drives financial capital and growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-yang/intellectual-capital-drives-financial-capital-and-growth/) [Andrew Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-yang/) > [Knowledge is only useful if you do something with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/knowledge-is-only-useful-if-you-do-something-with-it/) [Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/) > [In companies whose wealth is intellectual capital, networks, rather than hierarchies, are the right organizational design.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-stewart/in-companies-whose-wealth-is-intellectual-capital-networks-rather/) [Thomas A. Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-stewart/) > [When a small business grows like eBay did, it has a multiplier effect. It creates other small businesses that supply it with intellectual capital,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-whitman/when-a-small-business-grows-like-ebay-did-it-has-a-multiplier-effect/) [Meg Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-whitman/) > [The information revolution has changed people's perception of wealth. We originally said that land was wealth. Then we thought it was industrial production. Now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wriston/the-information-revolution-has-changed-people-s-perception-of-wealth/) [Walter Wriston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wriston/) > [Intellectual capital is the most valuable of all factors of production.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/intellectual-capital-is-the-most-valuable-of-all-factors-of-production/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [Intellectual capital will always trump financial capital.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tudor-jones/intellectual-capital-will-always-trump-financial-capital/) [Paul Tudor Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tudor-jones/) > [I'm fond of observing how obsession is the most durable form of intellectual capital.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-kosofsky-sedgwick/i-m-fond-of-observing-how-obsession-is-the-most-durable-form-of/) [Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-kosofsky-sedgwick/) > [The convictions that leaders have formed before reaching high office are the intellectual capital they will consume as long as they continue in office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/the-convictions-that-leaders-have-formed-before-reaching-high-office/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) ## More by Neil deGrasse Tyson > [I don't want to go into space because of war. I think we would if it was triggered. If China said they want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-don-t-want-to-go-into-space-because-of-war-i-think-we-would-if-it/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Quantum physics fluctuates all the time. But now the fluctuations are not just particles coming into and out of existence, which happens all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/quantum-physics-fluctuates-all-the-time-but-now-the-fluctuations-are/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [In the movie, the stars above the ship bear no correspondence to any constellations in a real sky. Worse yet, while the heroine bobs...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-the-movie-the-stars-above-the-ship-bear-no-correspondence-to-any/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [The Pacific is the best toilet for satellites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-pacific-is-the-best-toilet-for-satellites/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [... informed ignorance provides the natural state of mind for research scientists at the ever-shifting frontiers of knowledge. People who believe themselves ignorant of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/informed-ignorance-provides-the-natural-state-of-mind-for-research/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [If you seek only easy problems to solve, then ultimately, there'll be nothing about you to distinguish yourself from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/if-you-seek-only-easy-problems-to-solve-then-ultimately-there-ll-be/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [The caricature of science is that we hold tight to the theories we have, and shun challenges to them. That's just not true. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-caricature-of-science-is-that-we-hold-tight-to-the-theories-we/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [New generations of humans inherit the acquired discoveries of generations past, allowing cosmic insight to accumulate without limit. Each discovery of science therefore adds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/new-generations-of-humans-inherit-the-acquired-discoveries-of/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I've said multiple times that the world's first trillionaire is going to be the person who exploits the resources of asteroids, the natural resources…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-ve-said-multiple-times-that-the-world-s-first-trillionaire-is-going/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [ They \[scientists of centuries past\] call on God only from the lonely and precarious edge of incomprehension. Where they feel certain about their explanations,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/they-scientists-of-centuries-past-call-on-god-only-from-the-lonely/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [We explore our environment, more than we are compelled to utter poetry, when we're toddlers. We start doing that later. Before that happens, every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/we-explore-our-environment-more-than-we-are-compelled-to-utter-poetry/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [You can't have people making decisions about the future of the world who are scientifically illiterate. That's a recipe for disaster. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-can-t-have-people-making-decisions-about-the-future-of-the-world/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Science surrounds you. It's not something that you can step aside, step over or push out of your way because you were never good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/science-surrounds-you-it-s-not-something-that-you-can-step-aside-step/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [The idea that God resides in the unknown is what philosophers call the God of the gaps. And we have this thing called science,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-idea-that-god-resides-in-the-unknown-is-what-philosophers-call/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Everybody's got money for vacation time. Look at how much we all spend just to get - well, I get sick on the loop-the-loop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/everybody-s-got-money-for-vacation-time-look-at-how-much-we-all-spend/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) [Explore all 1,143 Neil deGrasse Tyson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) ## More Agriculture quotes > [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/) [Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/) > [To husband is to use with care, to keep, to save, to make last, to conserve. Old usage tells us that there is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/to-husband-is-to-use-with-care-to-keep-to-save-to-make-last-to/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [As the first Member of Congress from western Washington to serve on the House Agriculture Committee in over 50 years, I am proud to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-larsen/as-the-first-member-of-congress-from-western-washington-to-serve-on/) [Rick Larsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-larsen/) > [Conventional agriculture has never succeeded in feeding the world, and it's never produced anything good to eat. For the future, we need to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barber/conventional-agriculture-has-never-succeeded-in-feeding-the-world-and/) [Dan Barber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barber/) > [I would say my fraternity was nothing but a bunch of farm boys; we weren't really in the whole fraternity scene, but yeah, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-bryan/i-would-say-my-fraternity-was-nothing-but-a-bunch-of-farm-boys-we/) [Luke Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-bryan/) > [I grew up in Italy, and our country is a country of great agriculture and food produce. It wasn't like I was urban and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-rossellini/i-grew-up-in-italy-and-our-country-is-a-country-of-great-agriculture/) [Isabella Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-rossellini/) > [Farmers, get out your sense of humor. Congress meets to relieve you again next week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/farmers-get-out-your-sense-of-humor-congress-meets-to-relieve-you/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Because Iran understands Afghanistan far better than Americans do, making Iran a partner in a long-term effort to transform Afghan agriculture makes sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/because-iran-understands-afghanistan-far-better-than-americans-do/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Sara Scherr and Jeff McNeely have given us a thoughtful, sensible book about a topic of great importance to the world. There is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-serageldin/sara-scherr-and-jeff-mcneely-have-given-us-a-thoughtful-sensible-book/) [Ismail Serageldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-serageldin/) > [People want development, modern thinking. They want to encourage and support research in agriculture and other fields.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharad-pawar/people-want-development-modern-thinking-they-want-to-encourage-and/) [Sharad Pawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharad-pawar/) > [Growing corn, which from a biological perspective had always been a process of capturing sunlight to turn into food, has in no small measure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/growing-corn-which-from-a-biological-perspective-had-always-been-a/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [When politicians talk of loan waiver, they are accepting that agriculture is not economically viable. They are giving a wrong signal that farming is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-s-swaminathan/when-politicians-talk-of-loan-waiver-they-are-accepting-that/) [M. S. Swaminathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-s-swaminathan/) > [Nitrogen-based fertilizers, which came into wide use after World War II, helped prompt the agricultural revolution that has allowed the Earth to feed its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/nitrogen-based-fertilizers-which-came-into-wide-use-after-world-war/) [Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/) > [Agriculture is one economic activity that does not obey the laws of demand and supply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/agriculture-is-one-economic-activity-that-does-not-obey-the-laws-of/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [More than a mere alternative strategy, regenerative agriculture represents a fundamental shift in our culture’s relationship to nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/more-than-a-mere-alternative-strategy-regenerative-agriculture/) [Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/) [Browse all 889 Agriculture quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agriculture/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There was a transition going on - Baghdad being the intellectual capital of the world where major advances were made in agriculture and mathematics and engineering and medicine and astronomy, and then that all sort of collapsed. And I was trying to understand how such a intellectually fertile environment can lose its compass bearing. Because I think about the creative centers today - countries, or even regions. Will Silicon Valley always be as innovative? Will the United States be innovative, or will we become complacent?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neil deGrasse Tyson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/there-was-a-transition-going-on-baghdad-being-the-intellectual/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Agriculture" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/there-was-a-transition-going-on-baghdad-being-the-intellectual/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_agriculture_there-was-a-transition-going-on-baghdad_1461691.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_agriculture_there-was-a-transition-going-on-baghdad_1461691.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_agriculture_there-was-a-transition-going-on-baghdad_1461691.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There was a transition going on - Baghdad being the intellectual capital of the world where major advances…” — Neil deGrasse Tyson", "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": "Neil deGrasse Tyson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There was a transition going on...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/there-was-a-transition-going-on-baghdad-being-the-intellectual/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/there-was-a-transition-going-on-baghdad-being-the-intellectual/#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 } } ] } ```