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Air Quote by Ray Bradbury

“I got a statistic for you right now. Grab your pencil, Doug. There are five billion trees in the world. I looked it up. Under every tree is a shadow, right? So, then, what makes night? I'll tell you: shadows crawling out from under five billion trees! Think of it! Shadows running around in the…” quote by Ray Bradbury
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“I got a statistic for you right now. Grab your pencil, Doug. There are five billion trees in the world. I looked it up. Under every tree is a shadow, right? So, then, what makes night? I'll tell you: shadows crawling out from under five billion trees! Think of it! Shadows running around in the air, muddying the waters you might say. If only we could figure a way to keep those darn five billion shadows under those trees, we could stay up half the night, Doug, because there'd be no night!”

Ray Bradbury

About This Quote

Source Short story: "The Shadow of Trees", 1955

He imagines eliminating night by removing shadows under trees, illustrating whimsical problem‑solving.

In simple terms: Removing shadows would end night.

Key Takeaway

Think creatively about solving impossible problems.

Themes

imagination humor problem solving

Mood

playful thought‑provoking

Type

fictional philosophical

When to use this quote

  • environmental design
  • nighttime activities
  • creative brainstorming

Key Concepts

science fiction philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

  • What real problems could benefit from playful thinking?
  • How can imagination guide real solutions?
A Different Perspective

Practical constraints make the idea impossible.

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