Cities Quote by Randall Munroe
“The explosion would be just the right size to maximize the amount of paperwork your lab would face. If the explosion were smaller, you could potentially cover it up. If it were larger, there would be no one left in the city to submit paperwork to.”
About This Quote
An explosion's size is chosen to maximize bureaucratic workload: too small hides evidence, too large eliminates the paperwork submitters.
In simple terms: Choosing a disaster size to create the most paperwork.
Key Takeaway
Consider unintended consequences of actions.
Themes
bureaucracy
ethics
scale
Mood
satirical
critical
Type
humorous
ethical
When to use this quote
- policy planning
- risk assessment
- science communication
Key Concepts
systems thinking
dark humor
Questions to Reflect On
- How does scale affect responsibility?
- When does paperwork become a motive?
A Different Perspective
May trivialize serious impacts.
![“Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs [Less Developed Countries]?... I think the economic logic behind dumping a load of toxic waste in the lowest wage country is impeccable and we should face up to that... I’ve always…” quote by Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ac4/lawrence-summers-16940_air_just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-wo_4703.jpg)
