--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: CARL SAGAN SAID that if you want to make…" description: "\"“CARL SAGAN SAID that if you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe. When he says “from scratch,” he means from not..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/nicola-yoon-2072_apple-pie_carl-sagan-said-that-if-you-want-to-make_577754.jpg" --- # CARL SAGAN SAID that if you want to make an apple pie from… ![“CARL SAGAN SAID that if you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe. When he says “from scratch,” he means from nothing. He means from a time before the world even existed. If you want to make an apple pie from nothing at all, you have to start with the Big Bang…” quote by Nicola Yoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/nicola-yoon-2072_apple-pie_carl-sagan-said-that-if-you-want-to-make_577754.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/nicola-yoon-2072_apple-pie_carl-sagan-said-that-if-you-want-to-make_577754.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/nicola-yoon-2072_apple-pie_carl-sagan-said-that-if-you-want-to-make_577754.jpg) > ““CARL SAGAN SAID that if you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe. When he says “from scratch,” he means from nothing. He means from a time before the world even existed. If you want to make an apple pie from nothing at all, you have to start with the Big Bang and expanding universes, neutrons, ions, atoms, black holes, suns, moons, ocean tides, the Milky Way, Earth, evolution, dinosaurs, extinction- level events, platypuses, Homo erectus, Cro- Magnon man, etc. You have to start at the beginning. You must invent fire. You need water and fertile soil and seeds. You need cows and people to milk them and more people to churn that milk into butter. You need wheat and sugar cane and apple trees. You need chemistry and biology. For a really good apple pie, you need the arts. For an apple pie that can last for generations, you need the printing press and the Industrial Revolution and maybe even a poem.To make a thing as simple as an apple pie, you have to create the whole wide world.”” [Nicola Yoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-yoon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creating something simple, like an apple pie, actually requires understanding the entire complex history of the universe. **In simple terms:** Simple things need deep foundations. Key Takeaway Recognise the depth behind everyday creations. Themes science history creativity Mood inspirational thoughtful Type educational metaphorical When to use this quote - cooking - education - innovation - storytelling Key Concepts cosmology evolution technology culture Questions to Reflect On - What foundational knowledge do you overlook? - How can you balance simplicity with depth? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on complexity can paralyze action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apple pie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apple-pie/) [Big bang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-bang/) [Black hole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-hole/) [Black holes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-holes/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carl-sagan/) [Carl-sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carl-sagan-2/) [Industrial revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industrial-revolution/) [Make Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-apple-1106767/) [Milky way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/milky-way/) [Pie Create](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pie-create-4755323/) [Pie Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pie-need-4755324/) [Pie Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pie-start-4755325/) [Printing press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/printing-press/) [Quote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quote/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) ## Related quotes > [“Carl Sagan said we are all made of stardust. She was made of book dust.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-guillebeau/carl-sagan-said-we-are-all-made-of-stardust-she-was-made-of-book-dust/) [Michael Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-guillebeau/) > [“If you give the apple to me as the worthiest, I will make an apple pie!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ljupka-cvetanova/if-you-give-the-apple-to-me-as-the-worthiest-i-will-make-an-apple-pie/) [Ljupka Cvetanova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ljupka-cvetanova/) > [Truth, justice...I always thought they were absolutes, like God. And Mom. And apple pie. But you could make apple pie from Ritz crackers. 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If a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-rudner/women-are-more-accommodating-if-a-woman-drinks-the-last-glass-of/) [Rita Rudner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-rudner/) > [I know coffee tastes even better with a little something to munch on between sips. 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Even if we can't see it, the light is still there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-yoon/almost-everything-in-the-night-sky-gives-off-light-even-if-we-can-t/) [Nicola Yoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-yoon/) > [“Once you become part of the world, the world becomes a part of you, too”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-yoon/once-you-become-part-of-the-world-the-world-becomes-a-part-of-you-too/) [Nicola Yoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-yoon/) > [“love: a chemical history. ...The second stage, attraction, is governed by dopamine and serotonin. 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"But it has to start somewhere.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-yoon/all-love-ends-she-says-maybe-i-say-but-it-has-to-start-somewhere/) [Nicola Yoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-yoon/) [Explore all 161 Nicola Yoon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-yoon/) ## More Apple pie quotes > [Positive thinking is so firmly enshrined in our culture that knocking it is a little like attacking motherhood or apple pie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/srikumar-rao/positive-thinking-is-so-firmly-enshrined-in-our-culture-that-knocking/) [Srikumar Rao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/srikumar-rao/) > [Of emotions, of love, of breakup, of love and hate and death and dying, mama, apple pie, and the whole thing. It covers a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/of-emotions-of-love-of-breakup-of-love-and-hate-and-death-and-dying/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [“New Rule: Americans must realize what makes NFL football so great: socialism. That's right, the NFL takes money from the rich teams and gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-americans-must-realize-what-makes-nfl-football-so-great/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“In short, when it comes to colonial America, religious persecution—in the sense of persecution both based in religion and aimed at religion—was as American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corvino/in-short-when-it-comes-to-colonial-america-religious-persecution-in/) [John Corvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corvino/) > [I've read hundreds of cookbooks. Most of those cookbooks don't even tell you how to get a steak ready, how to bake biscuits or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colonel-sanders/i-ve-read-hundreds-of-cookbooks-most-of-those-cookbooks-don-t-even/) [Colonel Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colonel-sanders/) > [“She brushes a lock of hair back from her face and winces when she tugs through a snag. “Oh, my gosh. I must look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-falkner/she-brushes-a-lock-of-hair-back-from-her-face-and-winces-when-she/) [Tammy Falkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-falkner/) > [You'll see a movie about someone you hate or someone you love. Will you see a movie about grandma making apple pies? No, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcafee/you-ll-see-a-movie-about-someone-you-hate-or-someone-you-love-will/) [John McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcafee/) > [I could make apple pie every single day. You need to be super precise in order for it to be perfect. 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You brought apple pie,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-had-a-dream-about-you-flowers-were-overflowing-in-the-cemetery-so/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) [Browse all 178 Apple pie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apple-pie/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“CARL SAGAN SAID that if you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe. When he says “from scratch,” he means from nothing. He means from a time before the world even existed. If you want to make an apple pie from nothing at all, you have to start with the Big Bang and expanding universes, neutrons, ions, atoms, black holes, suns, moons, ocean tides, the Milky Way, Earth, evolution, dinosaurs, extinction- level events, platypuses, Homo erectus, Cro- Magnon man, etc. You have to start at the beginning. You must invent fire. You need water and fertile soil and seeds. You need cows and people to milk them and more people to churn that milk into butter. You need wheat and sugar cane and apple trees. You need chemistry and biology. For a really good apple pie, you need the arts. 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