--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was, for example, the theory that…" description: "\"“There was, for example, the theory that A'Tuin had come from nowhere and would continue at a uniform crawl, or steady gait, into nowhere, for all time..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9d/terry-pratchett-19_theory_there-was-for-example-the-theory-that-a_2867775.jpg" --- # There was, for example, the theory that A'Tuin had come… ![“There was, for example, the theory that A'Tuin had come from nowhere and would continue at a uniform crawl, or steady gait, into nowhere, for all time. This theory was popular among academics.” quote by Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9d/terry-pratchett-19_theory_there-was-for-example-the-theory-that-a_2867775.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9d/terry-pratchett-19_theory_there-was-for-example-the-theory-that-a_2867775.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9d/terry-pratchett-19_theory_there-was-for-example-the-theory-that-a_2867775.jpg) > ““There was, for example, the theory that A'Tuin had come from nowhere and would continue at a uniform crawl, or steady gait, into nowhere, for all time. This theory was popular among academics.”” [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He humorously references an academic theory about a turtle moving eternally toward nowhere. **In simple terms:** Academics joke about a turtle moving nowhere forever. Key Takeaway Question absurd theories. Themes humor science philosophy absurdity skepticism Mood playful thoughtful Type satirical philosophical When to use this quote - lecture halls - scientific debates - fictional worlds Key Concepts cosmology academic satire metaphor Questions to Reflect On - What does the turtle metaphor reveal about purpose? - How do we confront endless cycles? A Different Perspective May trivialize serious scientific discourse. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Example Theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/example-theory-1240194/) [Popular Academics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popular-academics-3906369/) [Theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory/) [Theory Popular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory-popular-3906367/) [Theory Tuin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory-tuin-3906368/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [My own personal theory is that all popular music, in whatever form it is, to me, it all comes from Africa. Whether it's filtered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-weller/my-own-personal-theory-is-that-all-popular-music-in-whatever-form-it/) [Paul Weller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-weller/) > [Partial knowledge is more triumphant than complete knowledge; it takes things to be simpler than they are, and so makes its theory more popular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/partial-knowledge-is-more-triumphant-than-complete-knowledge-it-takes/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“A good example of the archetypal ideas which the archetypes produce are natural numbers or integers. With the aid of the integers the shaping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-v-laurikainen/a-good-example-of-the-archetypal-ideas-which-the-archetypes-produce/) [K. V. Laurikainen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-v-laurikainen/) > [There is no clear-cut distinction between example and theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atiyah/there-is-no-clear-cut-distinction-between-example-and-theory/) [Michael Atiyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atiyah/) > [Don't be an example in someone else's theory, write yours using your own examples.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-be-an-example-in-someone-else-s-theory-write-yours-using-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“But I did not return until half past four this morning and I distinctly remember stubbing my toe on the stairs. I am as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-i-did-not-return-until-half-past-four-this-morning-and-i/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Quantum physics fluctuates all the time. 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Michelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-michelson/) > [The fact -- not theory -- that evolution has occurred and the Darwinian theory as to how it occurred have become so confused in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gaylord-simpson/the-fact-not-theory-that-evolution-has-occurred-and-the-darwinian/) [George Gaylord Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gaylord-simpson/) > [I have a tendency to often share the point of view of the conspiracy theory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-cotillard/i-have-a-tendency-to-often-share-the-point-of-view-of-the-conspiracy/) [Marion Cotillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-cotillard/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) ## More by Terry Pratchett > [“This one’s mental.’ ‘Eccentric.’ ‘What’s the difference?’ ‘A bag of cash.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/this-one-s-mental-eccentric-what-s-the-difference-a-bag-of-cash/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“But I did not return until half past four this morning and I distinctly remember stubbing my toe on the stairs. I am as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-i-did-not-return-until-half-past-four-this-morning-and-i/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Someone broke from the scrum and, punching and kicking, staggered towards the Klatchian goal. "Isn't that man your butler?" said Ahmed. "Yes." "One of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/someone-broke-from-the-scrum-and-punching-and-kicking-staggered/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [It's an interesting fact that fewer than 17 % of Real cats end their lives with the same name they started with. 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And now it's full of young people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-were-more-old-people-the-world-was-full-of-them-said-the-wizard/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Hobson was big and heavyset, but not exactly fat; he was probably what you’d get if you shaved a bear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/hobson-was-big-and-heavyset-but-not-exactly-fat-he-was-probably-what/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“There is a night that never comes to an end… The clock of the world turns under its own shadow. Midnight is a moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-is-a-night-that-never-comes-to-an-end-the-clock-of-the-world/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“You'd like Freedom, Truth, and Justice, wouldn't you, Comrade Sergeant?' said Reg encouragingly. 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I can't detect no trace of fear none whatsoever Roomy cranium all possible videos of all possible outcomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-are-not-apprehensive-are-you-i-can-t-detect-no-trace-of-fear-none/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Imagination, not intelligence, made us human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/imagination-not-intelligence-made-us-human/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) [Explore all 3,328 Terry Pratchett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## More Theory quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Quantum physics fluctuates all the time. 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This considers not only uniform but also accelerated motion. In particular, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-michelson/the-generalized-theory-of-relativity-has-furnished-still-more/) [A.A. Michelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-michelson/) > [“Quantum Technology Is No Longer Theoretical The quantum revolution is not the discovery of quantum physics. 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