--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Isaac Asimov’s remark about the…" description: "\"“Isaac Asimov’s remark about the infantilism of pseudoscience is just as applicable to religion: ‘Inspect every piece of pseudoscience and you will fin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/268/richard-dawkins-115_asimov_isaac-asimov-s-remark-about-the-infantil_321665.jpg" --- # Isaac Asimov’s remark about the infantilism of… ![“Isaac Asimov’s remark about the infantilism of pseudoscience is just as applicable to religion: ‘Inspect every piece of pseudoscience and you will find a security blanket, a thumb to suck, a skirt to hold.” quote by Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/268/richard-dawkins-115_asimov_isaac-asimov-s-remark-about-the-infantil_321665.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/268/richard-dawkins-115_asimov_isaac-asimov-s-remark-about-the-infantil_321665.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/268/richard-dawkins-115_asimov_isaac-asimov-s-remark-about-the-infantil_321665.jpg) > ““Isaac Asimov’s remark about the infantilism of pseudoscience is just as applicable to religion: ‘Inspect every piece of pseudoscience and you will find a security blanket, a thumb to suck, a skirt to hold.”” [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pseudoscience offers comforting narratives, similar to religious belief, masking uncertainty. **In simple terms:** Pseudoscience comforts like religion. Key Takeaway Question comforting myths critically. Themes science religion critical thinking Mood skeptical analytical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - health claims - alternative medicine - spiritual practices - political rhetoric Key Concepts Epistemology psychology Questions to Reflect On - Why do people cling to comforting falsehoods? - How can we promote evidence-based belief? A Different Perspective Comfort can outweigh evidence for many. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asimov/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Pseudoscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pseudoscience/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [Isaac Asimov's remark about the infantilism of pseudoscience is just as applicable to religion: 'Inspect every piece of pseudoscience and you will find a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/isaac-asimov-s-remark-about-the-infantilism-of-pseudoscience-is-just-2/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I did a film called 'Nightfall,' based on Isaac Asimov life, which was directed by an American director. However it was a short film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashish-vidyarthi/i-did-a-film-called-nightfall-based-on-isaac-asimov-life-which-was/) [Ashish Vidyarthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashish-vidyarthi/) > [“Growing up,” he said, “my favorite author was Isaac Asimov, the science fiction writer. Have any of you ever read the short story The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-e-richards/growing-up-he-said-my-favorite-author-was-isaac-asimov-the-science/) [Douglas E. Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-e-richards/) > [“The science fiction novelist Isaac Asimov reportedly once said, “The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/the-science-fiction-novelist-isaac-asimov-reportedly-once-said-the/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [“Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in.” ― Isaac…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-reid/your-assumptions-are-your-windows-on-the-world-scrub-them-off-every-3/) [Penny Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-reid/) > [Whenever someone wonders how I could have written 57 books, I remind them that Isaac Asimov wrote 500 books. I like Asimov's view that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kotler/whenever-someone-wonders-how-i-could-have-written-57-books-i-remind/) [Philip Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kotler/) > [In accordance with the terms of the Clarke-Asimov treaty, the second-best science writer dedicates this book to the second-best science-fiction writer. \[dedication to Isaac…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/in-accordance-with-the-terms-of-the-clarke-asimov-treaty-the-second/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [There were four major 20th-century science fiction writers: Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein and Ray Bradbury. Of those four, the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/there-were-four-major-20th-century-science-fiction-writers-arthur-c/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [We never had books at home, but my dad, seeing how keen I was to read, took me to Islington Library when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-kemp/we-never-had-books-at-home-but-my-dad-seeing-how-keen-i-was-to-read/) [Gary Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-kemp/) > [“Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy centers around the “Seldon Plan” to shorten a reversion period from 30,000 years to 1,000 years.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-tegmark/isaac-asimov-s-foundation-trilogy-centers-around-the-seldon-plan-to/) [Max Tegmark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-tegmark/) > [For bedtime reading, I usually curl up with a good monograph on quantum physics or string theory, my specialty. But since I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/for-bedtime-reading-i-usually-curl-up-with-a-good-monograph-on/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [My name is Bruce Feiler, and I'm an explainaholic. I first heard this word used to describe Isaac Asimov, and I knew instantly that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/my-name-is-bruce-feiler-and-i-m-an-explainaholic-i-first-heard-this/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [Isaac Asimov is, in reality, based on something I had invented a few years previously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/isaac-asimov-is-in-reality-based-on-something-i-had-invented-a-few/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [I've read everything that Isaac Asimov ever wrote, for a start. I'm massively into my fantasy genre, anything by R.A. Salvatore or David Gemmell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kazinsky/i-ve-read-everything-that-isaac-asimov-ever-wrote-for-a-start-i-m/) [Robert Kazinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kazinsky/) > [“People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." Isaac Asimov”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohi-shetty/people-who-think-they-know-everything-are-a-great-annoyance-to-those/) Rohi Shetty ## More by Richard Dawkins > [At the deepest level, all living things that have ever been looked at have the same DNA code. And many of the same genes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/at-the-deepest-level-all-living-things-that-have-ever-been-looked-at/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The word 'mundane' has come to mean 'boring' and 'dull', and it really shouldn't - it should mean the opposite. Because it comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-word-mundane-has-come-to-mean-boring-and-dull-and-it-really/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“The fundamentalist Kurt Wise proclaims that all the evidence in the universe would not change his mind. The true scientist, however passionately he may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-fundamentalist-kurt-wise-proclaims-that-all-the-evidence-in-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“I have found it an amusing strategy, when asked whether I am an atheist, to point out that the questioner is also an atheist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-have-found-it-an-amusing-strategy-when-asked-whether-i-am-an/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Religions do make claims about the universe--the same kinds of claims that scientists make, except they're usually false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/religions-do-make-claims-about-the-universe-the-same-kinds-of-claims/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“much of the Bible is not systematically evil but just plain weird, as you would expect of a chaotically cobbled-together anthology of disjointed documents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/much-of-the-bible-is-not-systematically-evil-but-just-plain-weird-as/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The recurrent laryngeal nerve - which runs from the head to the voice box - goes all the way down into the chest, loops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-recurrent-laryngeal-nerve-which-runs-from-the-head-to-the-voice/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The Roman Catholic Church is an institution for whose gains the phrase "ill-gotten" might have been specially invented. And of all its money-making rip-offs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-roman-catholic-church-is-an-institution-for-whose-gains-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Let us understand what our own selfish genes are up to because we may then at least have the chance to upset their designs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/let-us-understand-what-our-own-selfish-genes-are-up-to-because-we-may/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [What's going to happen when I die? I may be buried, or I may be cremated, I may give my body to science. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/what-s-going-to-happen-when-i-die-i-may-be-buried-or-i-may-be/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Or why it is acceptable to train fast runners and high jumpers but not to breed them. I can think of some answers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/or-why-it-is-acceptable-to-train-fast-runners-and-high-jumpers-but/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We have seen that living things are too improbable and too beautifully 'designed' to have come into existence by chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-have-seen-that-living-things-are-too-improbable-and-too/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“We will not go quietly away. If in the future that requires violence”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-will-not-go-quietly-away-if-in-the-future-that-requires-violence/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [It's a truly disgusting idea that the creator of the universe - capable of inventing the laws of physics and designing the evolutionary process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-s-a-truly-disgusting-idea-that-the-creator-of-the-universe-capable/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) [Explore all 1,239 Richard Dawkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## More Asimov quotes > [“People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." Isaac Asimov”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohi-shetty/people-who-think-they-know-everything-are-a-great-annoyance-to-those/) Rohi Shetty > [I've read everything that Isaac Asimov ever wrote, for a start. I'm massively into my fantasy genre, anything by R.A. Salvatore or David Gemmell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kazinsky/i-ve-read-everything-that-isaac-asimov-ever-wrote-for-a-start-i-m/) [Robert Kazinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kazinsky/) > [Isaac Asimov is, in reality, based on something I had invented a few years previously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/isaac-asimov-is-in-reality-based-on-something-i-had-invented-a-few/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [Asimov was the reason why we changed some rules in the SFWA, and I'm not convinced we changed it for the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-pournelle/asimov-was-the-reason-why-we-changed-some-rules-in-the-sfwa-and-i-m/) [Jerry Pournelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-pournelle/) > [My name is Bruce Feiler, and I'm an explainaholic. I first heard this word used to describe Isaac Asimov, and I knew instantly that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/my-name-is-bruce-feiler-and-i-m-an-explainaholic-i-first-heard-this/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do. -Issac Asimov-](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keisha-v/people-who-think-they-know-everything-are-a-great-annoyance-to-those-2/) Keisha V > [For bedtime reading, I usually curl up with a good monograph on quantum physics or string theory, my specialty. But since I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/for-bedtime-reading-i-usually-curl-up-with-a-good-monograph-on/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [“Far from disproving the existence of God, astronomers may be finding more circumstantial evidence that God exists.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jastrow/far-from-disproving-the-existence-of-god-astronomers-may-be-finding/) [Robert Jastrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jastrow/) > [“Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy centers around the “Seldon Plan” to shorten a reversion period from 30,000 years to 1,000 years.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-tegmark/isaac-asimov-s-foundation-trilogy-centers-around-the-seldon-plan-to/) [Max Tegmark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-tegmark/) > [A story in Asimov's is read by hundreds of thousands of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-egan/a-story-in-asimov-s-is-read-by-hundreds-of-thousands-of-people/) [Greg Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-egan/) > [We never had books at home, but my dad, seeing how keen I was to read, took me to Islington Library when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-kemp/we-never-had-books-at-home-but-my-dad-seeing-how-keen-i-was-to-read/) [Gary Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-kemp/) > [It's hard not to like Asimov; he's a really likable guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/it-s-hard-not-to-like-asimov-he-s-a-really-likable-guy/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [“They spoke as if this were settled science. We’ll discuss the three laws in chapter 1, but it’s enough to say for now that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-barrat/they-spoke-as-if-this-were-settled-science-we-ll-discuss-the-three/) [James Barrat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-barrat/) > [There were four major 20th-century science fiction writers: Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein and Ray Bradbury. Of those four, the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/there-were-four-major-20th-century-science-fiction-writers-arthur-c/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [“Asimov received frequent criticism about his books that they never included aliens or sex, so Asimov included in this book aliens, sex, and alien…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-lastowka/asimov-received-frequent-criticism-about-his-books-that-they-never/) [Conor Lastowka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-lastowka/) [Browse all 37 Asimov quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asimov/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Isaac Asimov’s remark about the infantilism of pseudoscience is just as applicable to religion: ‘Inspect every piece of pseudoscience and you will find a security blanket, a thumb to suck, a skirt to hold.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Dawkins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/isaac-asimov-s-remark-about-the-infantilism-of-pseudoscience-is-just/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Asimov" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/isaac-asimov-s-remark-about-the-infantilism-of-pseudoscience-is-just/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/268/richard-dawkins-115_asimov_isaac-asimov-s-remark-about-the-infantil_321665.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/268/richard-dawkins-115_asimov_isaac-asimov-s-remark-about-the-infantil_321665.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/268/richard-dawkins-115_asimov_isaac-asimov-s-remark-about-the-infantil_321665.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Isaac Asimov’s remark about the infantilism of pseudoscience is just as applicable to religion: ‘Inspect…” — Richard Dawkins", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Richard Dawkins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Isaac Asimov’s remark about the infantilism...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/isaac-asimov-s-remark-about-the-infantilism-of-pseudoscience-is-just/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/isaac-asimov-s-remark-about-the-infantilism-of-pseudoscience-is-just/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```