--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Science is a way of talking about the…" description: "\"Science is a way of talking about the universe in words that bind it to a common reality. Magic is a method of talking to the universe in words that it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/neil-gaiman-29_common_science-is-a-way-of-talking-about-the-un_214218.jpg" --- # Science is a way of talking about the universe in words… ![“Science is a way of talking about the universe in words that bind it to a common reality. Magic is a method of talking to the universe in words that it cannot ignore. The two are rarely compatible.” quote by Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/neil-gaiman-29_common_science-is-a-way-of-talking-about-the-un_214218.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/neil-gaiman-29_common_science-is-a-way-of-talking-about-the-un_214218.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/neil-gaiman-29_common_science-is-a-way-of-talking-about-the-un_214218.jpg) > “Science is a way of talking about the universe in words that bind it to a common reality. Magic is a method of talking to the universe in words that it cannot ignore. The two are rarely compatible.” [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science describes reality with shared language; magic claims a secret dialogue that reality cannot ignore, making the two hard to reconcile. **In simple terms:** Science and magic speak different languages. Key Takeaway Recognize the limits of each worldview. Themes science magic language reality compatibility Mood curious reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - teaching - storytelling - philosophical debate - personal belief systems Key Concepts epistemology metaphysics creative imagination Questions to Reflect On - Can we find a bridge between empirical truth and wonder? - What role does imagination play in scientific discovery? A Different Perspective Science often dismisses magic, while magic can undermine empirical rigor. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Compatible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compatible/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Magic Method](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic-method-892067/) [Method](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/method/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reality Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-magic-826362/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Talking Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking-universe-2203793/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Universe Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe-words-1420609/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Way of talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-of-talking/) ## Related quotes > [“Magic" is simply a way of talking to the universe in a way that it cannot ignore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/magic-is-simply-a-way-of-talking-to-the-universe-in-a-way-that-it/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Magic, then, is not a method, but a language; it is part and parcel of that greater phenomenon, ritual, which is the language of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/magic-then-is-not-a-method-but-a-language-it-is-part-and-parcel-of/) [Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/) > [There is no magic method of beginning... Take hold of your nerves, and jump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/there-is-no-magic-method-of-beginning-take-hold-of-your-nerves-and/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [Don't let me catch anyone talking about the Universe in my department.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-rutherford/don-t-let-me-catch-anyone-talking-about-the-universe-in-my-department/) [Ernest Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-rutherford/) > [“When someone looks at something they don’t understand and they say, “That could be a good thing, or that could be a bad thing,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/when-someone-looks-at-something-they-don-t-understand-and-they-say/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I am talking to you, but the moment I am talking to you, the universe is being created and destroyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-am-talking-to-you-but-the-moment-i-am-talking-to-you-the-universe/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Thought is the first level of creation. Next comes the word. Everything you say is a thought expressed. It is creative and sends forth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/thought-is-the-first-level-of-creation-next-comes-the-word-everything/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [The History Of The Universe In Three Words CHAPTER ONE Bang! CHAPTER TWO sssss CHAPTER THREE crunch. THE END](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-history-of-the-universe-in-three-words-chapter-one-bang-chapter/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Not only is the Universe aware of us, but it also communicates with us. We, in turn, are constantly in communication with the Universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/not-only-is-the-universe-aware-of-us-but-it-also-communicates-with-us/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [Words are the most powerful thing in the universe... Words are containers. They contain faith, or fear, and they produce after their kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-capps/words-are-the-most-powerful-thing-in-the-universe-words-are/) [Charles Capps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-capps/) > [To be Master of the Universe (in other words, to be master of your own personal universe) choose "what is so".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-linn/to-be-master-of-the-universe-in-other-words-to-be-master-of-your-own/) [Denise Linn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-linn/) > [The act of saying that things exist that cannot be described in words shakes a universe where words are the supreme belief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/the-act-of-saying-that-things-exist-that-cannot-be-described-in-words/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [“It’s a way of talking about lust without talking about lust, he told them. It is a way of talking about sex, and fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-s-a-way-of-talking-about-lust-without-talking-about-lust-he-told/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes a lot of hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozwald-boateng/a-dream-doesn-t-become-reality-through-magic-it-takes-a-lot-of-hard/) [Ozwald Boateng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozwald-boateng/) > [“Sometimes things happen in life that at the time seem one way, but in reality it’s the magic recharging so you can find it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-bromberg/sometimes-things-happen-in-life-that-at-the-time-seem-one-way-but-in/) [K. Bromberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-bromberg/) ## More by Neil Gaiman > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Like all sentient beings, Fat Charlie had a weirdness quotient. For some days the needle had been over in the red, occasionally banging jerkily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/like-all-sentient-beings-fat-charlie-had-a-weirdness-quotient-for/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Shadow crawled across the floor to the yellow foam-rubber pad and climbed onto it, pulling the thin blanket over himself, and closed his eyes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/shadow-crawled-across-the-floor-to-the-yellow-foam-rubber-pad-and/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [ “\[T\]hey could not help being amused every time another little human believed itself the center of its world, as each of us does.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/t-hey-could-not-help-being-amused-every-time-another-little-human/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [So many things to see, people to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/so-many-things-to-see-people-to-do/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.’ – Ben Franklin,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/three-may-keep-a-secret-if-two-of-them-are-dead-ben-franklin/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You need more than a beginning if you're going to start a book. If all you have is a beginning, then once you've written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-need-more-than-a-beginning-if-you-re-going-to-start-a-book-if-all/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You can tell the date of an old science fiction novel by every word on the page. Nothing dates harder and faster and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-can-tell-the-date-of-an-old-science-fiction-novel-by-every-word/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“The quickest way is sometimes the longest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-quickest-way-is-sometimes-the-longest/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“They were spells, spelled with words to make worlds, waiting for me, in the pages of books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/they-were-spells-spelled-with-words-to-make-worlds-waiting-for-me-in/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Finish what you're writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/finish-what-you-re-writing-whatever-you-have-to-do-to-finish-it/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [What do stars do? They shine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-do-stars-do-they-shine/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“What," asked Mr Croup, "do you want?" "What," asked the Marquis de Carabas, a little more rhetorically, "does anyone want?" "Dead things," suggested Mr…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-asked-mr-croup-do-you-want-what-asked-the-marquis-de-carabas-a/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You get on with your own life. Lettie gave it to you. You just have to grow up and try and be worth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-get-on-with-your-own-life-lettie-gave-it-to-you-you-just-have-to/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Eyes will not see you. Minds will not hold you. Where you are is nothing and nobody”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/eyes-will-not-see-you-minds-will-not-hold-you-where-you-are-is/) [neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) [Explore all 2,526 Neil Gaiman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## More Common quotes > [I'm Fine!, the most common LIE in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/i-m-fine-the-most-common-lie-in-the-world/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Our times demand the declaration of the world's resources as the common heritage of all people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/our-times-demand-the-declaration-of-the-world-s-resources-as-the/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [ Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a \[Soviet socialistic\] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-national-socialism-have-anything/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [When you have a cavity in your tooth and you let it get worse, eventually you have to get a root canal. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-newton-john/when-you-have-a-cavity-in-your-tooth-and-you-let-it-get-worse/) [Olivia Newton-John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-newton-john/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Common sense is nothing more than a deposit of prejudices laid down in the mind before you reach eighteen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/common-sense-is-nothing-more-than-a-deposit-of-prejudices-laid-down/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [A time will come when the science of destruction shall bend before the arts of peace; when the genius which multiplies our powers, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-arago/a-time-will-come-when-the-science-of-destruction-shall-bend-before/) [Francois Arago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-arago/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [It is a tragedy that we live in a world where physical courage is so common, and moral courage is so rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/it-is-a-tragedy-that-we-live-in-a-world-where-physical-courage-is-so/) [Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/) > [Those who advocate common usage in philosophy sometimes speak in a manner that suggests the mystique of the 'common man.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/those-who-advocate-common-usage-in-philosophy-sometimes-speak-in-a/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) [Browse all 7,866 Common quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Science is a way of talking about the universe in words that bind it to a common reality. 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