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 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!”
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.
Think creatively about solving impossible problems.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- environmental design
- nighttime activities
- creative brainstorming
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What real problems could benefit from playful thinking?
- How can imagination guide real solutions?
Practical constraints make the idea impossible.