--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sure, nobody will make a fortune if we…" description: "\"Sure, nobody will make a fortune if we figure out why the Big Bang happened. But just about everyone would like to know.\" — Seth Shostak" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/848/seth-shostak-2047_about_sure-nobody-will-make-a-fortune-if-we-fi_73793.png" --- # Sure, nobody will make a fortune if we figure out why the… ![“Sure, nobody will make a fortune if we figure out why the Big Bang happened. But just about everyone would like to know.” quote by Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/848/seth-shostak-2047_about_sure-nobody-will-make-a-fortune-if-we-fi_73793.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/848/seth-shostak-2047_about_sure-nobody-will-make-a-fortune-if-we-fi_73793.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/848/seth-shostak-2047_about_sure-nobody-will-make-a-fortune-if-we-fi_73793.png) > “Sure, nobody will make a fortune if we figure out why the Big Bang happened. But just about everyone would like to know.” [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights humanity's curiosity about the origin of the universe, acknowledging that while it may not yield financial gain, the knowledge is intrinsically valuable. **In simple terms:** Scientific curiosity outweighs profit motives. Key Takeaway Understanding origins is a universal desire. Themes Curiosity Science Existential inquiry Human motivation Knowledge value Mood Wonder Intrigue Awe Type Philosophical Inspirational When to use this quote - Academic research - Public science communication - Educational curricula - Science documentaries - Popular science writing Key Concepts Cosmology Fundamental physics Philosophy of science Practical Applications - Science outreach - Fundamental research funding Questions to Reflect On - What drives scientific inquiry beyond material rewards? - How does curiosity shape societal progress? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big bang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-bang/) [Fortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortune/) ## Related quotes > [“if you assume that the Big Bang happened gratuitously, you're talking about magic, not science.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/if-you-assume-that-the-big-bang-happened-gratuitously-you-re-talking/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [“Events. Events in response to other events. Think about it. Nothing since the big bang has happened without a reason. And even the big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laleh-khadivi/events-events-in-response-to-other-events-think-about-it-nothing/) [Laleh Khadivi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laleh-khadivi/) > [Scientists - who prefer explanations subject to laboratory tests - figure that everything we see today was as inevitable as wrinkles, once the Big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/scientists-who-prefer-explanations-subject-to-laboratory-tests-figure/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > ['What was there before the Big Bang?' That's a question that both kids and adults love to pose to anyone who seems sympathetic. After…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/what-was-there-before-the-big-bang-that-s-a-question-that-both-kids/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Clearly, enriching the cosmos with heavy elements takes a while. So there's inevitably an interval between the sterile aftermath of the Big Bang and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/clearly-enriching-the-cosmos-with-heavy-elements-takes-a-while-so/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Literally, there is a lot of talk about sparks in the Kabbalah. It talks about when God created the world initially, there was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/literally-there-is-a-lot-of-talk-about-sparks-in-the-kabbalah-it/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [The Big Bang theory says nothing about what banged, why it banged, or what happened before it banged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-guth/the-big-bang-theory-says-nothing-about-what-banged-why-it-banged-or/) [Alan Guth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-guth/) > [In the popular imagination, the Big Bang is a great explosion; at one time there was nothing, then matter erupted into previously empty space.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taner-edis/in-the-popular-imagination-the-big-bang-is-a-great-explosion-at-one/) [Taner Edis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taner-edis/) > [When I came to El Bulli, right away I knew I was becoming part of something incredible. It was like watching the Big Bang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-came-to-el-bulli-right-away-i-knew-i-was-becoming-part-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A hydrogen bomb, for me, was puny compared to the Big Bang - the creation of the universe. That's what I really wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/a-hydrogen-bomb-for-me-was-puny-compared-to-the-big-bang-the-creation/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [Chuck Lorre and I had been talking about doing one of his shows for a while. I said I'd like to do 'The Big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/chuck-lorre-and-i-had-been-talking-about-doing-one-of-his-shows-for-a/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [“For the duration of another Big Bang. For the single flutter of a Hummingbird’s wings. For no time at all. Because”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayne-silvers/for-the-duration-of-another-big-bang-for-the-single-flutter-of-a/) [Shayne Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayne-silvers/) > [You're the big bang get up and show the universe and the world how great you're.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/you-re-the-big-bang-get-up-and-show-the-universe-and-the-world-how/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [Take away the Big Bang and what has God done? Burned a bush and got a girl pregnant. Great, he's a high school junior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/take-away-the-big-bang-and-what-has-god-done-burned-a-bush-and-got-a/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [When I started on 'Big Bang,' I was the only girl; I felt like I had four brothers. Then Melissa Rauch and Mayim Bialik…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaley-cuoco/when-i-started-on-big-bang-i-was-the-only-girl-i-felt-like-i-had-four/) [Kaley Cuoco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaley-cuoco/) ## More by Seth Shostak > [Studying Sol's interior by looking for analogous patterns on its incandescent face is known as helioseismology, an active - if largely unpronounceable - research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/studying-sol-s-interior-by-looking-for-analogous-patterns-on-its/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Some pundits have proposed that the aliens have come here to breed with us. Apparently, too much bike riding or something similar has rendered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/some-pundits-have-proposed-that-the-aliens-have-come-here-to-breed/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [As far as I can tell, the only unambiguous consequence of the claimed invasion of Earth by beings from another star system has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/as-far-as-i-can-tell-the-only-unambiguous-consequence-of-the-claimed/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Look, science is hard, it has a reputation of being hard, and the facts are, it is hard, and that's the result of 400…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/look-science-is-hard-it-has-a-reputation-of-being-hard-and-the-facts/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Give consideration to the fact that alien astronomers could have scrutinized Earth for more than 4 billion years without detecting any radio signals, despite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/give-consideration-to-the-fact-that-alien-astronomers-could-have/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [In a movie, it's often important to have aliens whose gestures and facial expressions can be 'read' by humans. And in the days before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/in-a-movie-it-s-often-important-to-have-aliens-whose-gestures-and/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [If you could drive straight down, into a tunnel bored through the crust of the planet, you'd hit this molten mess in about an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/if-you-could-drive-straight-down-into-a-tunnel-bored-through-the/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [While I have always thought that the motivation for looking for E.T. was both self-evident and patently worthy, it's possible that I'm a victim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/while-i-have-always-thought-that-the-motivation-for-looking-for-e-t/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [I studied Latin in high school, and I was reading stuff from Cicero. And that signal took a few thousand years to get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/i-studied-latin-in-high-school-and-i-was-reading-stuff-from-cicero/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [About the only things that are unique to Earth are our biota and our culture. If aliens ever come here, they'd most likely be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/about-the-only-things-that-are-unique-to-earth-are-our-biota-and-our/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [This plucky NASA telescope is able to find planets en masse. If you compare planet hunting to prospecting for gold, then Kepler is equivalent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/this-plucky-nasa-telescope-is-able-to-find-planets-en-masse-if-you/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [The most attractive habitats for synthetic sentience might be the vicinities of exceptional sources of energy - for example black holes, or even the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/the-most-attractive-habitats-for-synthetic-sentience-might-be-the/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Buying insurance is no one's idea of fun. And it's especially easy to berate something as funky-sounding as writing checks to defend our neighborhoods…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/buying-insurance-is-no-one-s-idea-of-fun-and-it-s-especially-easy-to/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Plate tectonics is not all havoc and destruction. The slow movement of continents and ocean floors recycles carbon dioxide dissolved in the oceans back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/plate-tectonics-is-not-all-havoc-and-destruction-the-slow-movement-of/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > ['Eternal inflation,' as it's called - the endless generation of new universes - may be a hyper-cosmic imperative. It seems that it must happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/eternal-inflation-as-it-s-called-the-endless-generation-of-new/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Explore all 189 Seth Shostak quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) Browse all 26,122 About quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sure, nobody will make a fortune if we figure out why the Big Bang happened. 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