---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As the saying goes, the Stone Age did not…"
description: "\"As the saying goes, the Stone Age did not end because we ran out of stones; we transitioned to better solutions. The same opportunity lies before us wi..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/steven-chu-15304_age_as-the-saying-goes-the-stone-age-did-not_1590456.jpg"
---

#  As the saying goes, the Stone Age did not end because we…

![“As the saying goes, the Stone Age did not end because we ran out of stones; we transitioned to better solutions. The same opportunity lies before us with energy efficiency and clean energy.” quote by Steven Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/steven-chu-15304_age_as-the-saying-goes-the-stone-age-did-not_1590456.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/steven-chu-15304_age_as-the-saying-goes-the-stone-age-did-not_1590456.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/steven-chu-15304_age_as-the-saying-goes-the-stone-age-did-not_1590456.jpg)

> “As the saying goes, the Stone Age did not end because we ran out of stones; we transitioned to better solutions. The same opportunity lies before us with energy efficiency and clean energy.”

[Steven Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Progress replaces old tools with better solutions; energy must follow this path.

**In simple terms:** Old tech is replaced by better ones; energy needs new solutions.

Key Takeaway

Adopt clean energy and improve efficiency.

Themes

energy innovation technology environment progress

Mood

optimistic inspirational

Type

motivational future‑oriented

When to use this quote

- home heating
- industrial processes
- transportation
- government incentives

Key Concepts

sustainability clean tech energy policy

Questions to Reflect On

- What incentives can accelerate clean energy?
- How do we overcome inertia in existing systems?

A Different Perspective

Transition costs and political resistance can slow adoption.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Clean energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clean-energy/) [Efficiency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/efficiency/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Energy efficiency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy-efficiency/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Productivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/productivity/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Stone age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stone-age/)

## Related quotes

> [I can tell you, Massachusetts, fastest growing sector of our economy is clean energy and energy efficiency companies. And they're growing faster than any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-can-tell-you-massachusetts-fastest-growing-sector-of-our-economy-is/)

[John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/)

> [The biggest gains, in terms of decreasing the country's energy bill, the amount of carbon dioxide we put into the atmosphere, and our dependency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/the-biggest-gains-in-terms-of-decreasing-the-country-s-energy-bill/)

[Steven Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/)

> [We tend to overlook the fact that a mature clean energy economy in fact will give an opportunity to ordinary people to earn more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/we-tend-to-overlook-the-fact-that-a-mature-clean-energy-economy-in/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [Home Star is a common sense idea that would create jobs and provide a boost to local economies, while helping families afford their energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-welch/home-star-is-a-common-sense-idea-that-would-create-jobs-and-provide-a/)

[Peter Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-welch/)

> [The Eee Pad Transformer Prime is a category-defining product. Powered by Tegra 3, it launches us into a new era of mobile computing, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-hsun-huang/the-eee-pad-transformer-prime-is-a-category-defining-product-powered/)

Jen-Hsun Huang

> [We must start... rebuilding our cities around energy efficiency and human needs, rather than around the car and wasted energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-inslee/we-must-start-rebuilding-our-cities-around-energy-efficiency-and/)

[Jay Inslee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-inslee/)

> [At the end of the day, no amount of investing, no amount of clean electrons, no amount of energy efficiency will save the natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/at-the-end-of-the-day-no-amount-of-investing-no-amount-of-clean/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The road to energy efficiency is, in theory, a sustainability sweepstake. More efficiency means that less fuel is required to generate a given amount…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jens-martin-skibsted/the-road-to-energy-efficiency-is-in-theory-a-sustainability/)

[Jens Martin Skibsted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jens-martin-skibsted/)

> [Well, there's no doubt about the fact that, that higher energy prices lead to greater conservation, greater energy efficiency, and they also, of course,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-snow/well-there-s-no-doubt-about-the-fact-that-that-higher-energy-prices/)

[John W. Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-snow/)

> [Let's create jobs by bringing the Shaheen-Portman bipartisan energy efficiency bill to the floor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-shaheen/let-s-create-jobs-by-bringing-the-shaheen-portman-bipartisan-energy/)

[Jeanne Shaheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-shaheen/)

> [Energy efficiency should be on the priority list for all home improvement work these days. Canny builders will be able to provide homeowners with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-beeny/energy-efficiency-should-be-on-the-priority-list-for-all-home/)

[Sarah Beeny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-beeny/)

> [While our energy efficiency is improving, there is a very high correlation, almost near perfect correlation, between GDP growth, and energy usage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-turnbull/while-our-energy-efficiency-is-improving-there-is-a-very-high/)

[Malcolm Turnbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-turnbull/)

> [I think we need to prepare for the worst, and so I support energy efficiency measures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-young/i-think-we-need-to-prepare-for-the-worst-and-so-i-support-energy/)

[Todd Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-young/)

> [Japan is already a leader in energy efficiency, and it has a wealth of innovative technologies. We must put this expertise to use creating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoshihiko-noda/japan-is-already-a-leader-in-energy-efficiency-and-it-has-a-wealth-of/)

[Yoshihiko Noda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoshihiko-noda/)

> [Performance matters because games are built on great performance, but form factor and energy efficiency matter incredibly because they want to build something that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jensen-huang/performance-matters-because-games-are-built-on-great-performance-but/)

[Jensen Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jensen-huang/)

## More by Steven Chu

> [Coal is My Worst Nightmare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/coal-is-my-worst-nightmare/)

[Steven Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/)

> [There were only two other Chinese families in this town of 25,000, but to our parents, the determining factor was the quality of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/there-were-only-two-other-chinese-families-in-this-town-of-25-000-but/)

[Steven Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/)

> [If other countries don't impose a cost on carbon, then we will be at a disadvantage...we would look at considering perhaps duties that would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/if-other-countries-don-t-impose-a-cost-on-carbon-then-we-will-be-at-a/)

[Steven Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/)

> [Since I walked in the door as secretary of energy, I've been doing everything in our powers to do what we can to reduce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/since-i-walked-in-the-door-as-secretary-of-energy-i-ve-been-doing/)

[Steven Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/)

> [Occasionally, I would focus on a particular school project and become obsessed with, what seemed to my mother, to be trivial details instead of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/occasionally-i-would-focus-on-a-particular-school-project-and-become/)

[Steven Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/)

> [Education in my family was not merely emphasized, it was our raison d'être. Virtually all of our aunts and uncles had Ph.D.s in science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/education-in-my-family-was-not-merely-emphasized-it-was-our-raison-d/)

[Steven Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/)

> [Let me state what the official IPCC prediction is: Sea levels could go up as much as three-quarters of a meter in this century,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/let-me-state-what-the-official-ipcc-prediction-is-sea-levels-could-go/)

[Steven Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/)

> [For the better part of my last semester at Garden City High, I constructed a physical pendulum and used it to make a "precision"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/for-the-better-part-of-my-last-semester-at-garden-city-high-i/)

[Steven Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/)

> [The biggest gains, in terms of decreasing the country's energy bill, the amount of carbon dioxide we put into the atmosphere, and our dependency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/the-biggest-gains-in-terms-of-decreasing-the-country-s-energy-bill/)

[Steven Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/)

> [I approached the bulk of my schoolwork as a chore rather than an intellectual adventure. The tedium was relieved by a few courses that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/i-approached-the-bulk-of-my-schoolwork-as-a-chore-rather-than-an/)

[Steven Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/)

> [In the summer after kindergarten, a friend introduced me to the joys of building plastic model airplanes and warships. By the fourth grade, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/in-the-summer-after-kindergarten-a-friend-introduced-me-to-the-joys/)

[Steven Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/)

> [The ideal protective layer for a lithium metal anode needs to be chemically stable to protect against the chemical reactions with the electrolyte and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/the-ideal-protective-layer-for-a-lithium-metal-anode-needs-to-be/)

[Steven Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/)

> [By the fourth grade, I graduated to an erector set and spent many happy hours constructing devices of unknown purpose where the main design…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/by-the-fourth-grade-i-graduated-to-an-erector-set-and-spent-many/)

[Steven Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/)

> [Of course we don't want the price of gasoline to go up, we want it to go down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/of-course-we-don-t-want-the-price-of-gasoline-to-go-up-we-want-it-to/)

[Steven Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/)

> [My physics teacher, Thomas Miner was particularly gifted. To this day, I remember how he introduced the subject of physics. He told us we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/my-physics-teacher-thomas-miner-was-particularly-gifted-to-this-day-i/)

[Steven Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/)

[Explore all 43 Steven Chu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/)

## More Age quotes

> [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/)

[Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/)

> [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/)

[Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/)

> [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/)

[Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/)

> [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/)

[Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/)

> [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/)

[Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

> [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/)

[Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/)

> [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/)

[Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/)

> [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/)

[Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/)

> [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/)

[Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/)

> [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/)

[Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/)

> [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/)

[Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/)

> [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/)

[Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/)

[Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "As the saying goes, the Stone Age did not end because we ran out of stones; we transitioned to better solutions. The same opportunity lies before us with energy efficiency and clean energy.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Steven Chu"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/as-the-saying-goes-the-stone-age-did-not-end-because-we-ran-out-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Age"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/as-the-saying-goes-the-stone-age-did-not-end-because-we-ran-out-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/steven-chu-15304_age_as-the-saying-goes-the-stone-age-did-not_1590456.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/steven-chu-15304_age_as-the-saying-goes-the-stone-age-did-not_1590456.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/steven-chu-15304_age_as-the-saying-goes-the-stone-age-did-not_1590456.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“As the saying goes, the Stone Age did not end because we ran out of stones; we transitioned to better…” — Steven Chu",
                "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": "Steven Chu",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "As the saying goes, the Stone...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/as-the-saying-goes-the-stone-age-did-not-end-because-we-ran-out-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/as-the-saying-goes-the-stone-age-did-not-end-because-we-ran-out-of/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
