Scientists and academics in particular focus on detail and the minutiae. When they talk to

each other, they usually don't focus on the broad ideas; they don't focus on social interconnectedness. They focus on the task that they're doing.
Aaron D. O'Connell

The thrill of science is the process. It's a social process. It's a process of collective discovery. It's debate, it's experimentation and it's verification of claims that might be false. It's the greatest foundation for a society.
Greg Graffin

I love Boston, and at some point, my plan is to have a home back there.
David Walton

The greatest enemy of progress is the illusion of knowledge.
John Young

In politics, Joseph Smith was something of a radical. He preached, instead of democracy, a version of theocratic rule within a framework given by his own prophetic leadership. At Nauvoo, Smith affected a Napoleonic uniform and made himself into a general and quasi king of the polity he had constituted.
Noah Feldman

I don't read books on how to write screenplays just because I'm stubborn. So it's all sort of made up.
Shane Carruth

I'm always calculating what I want to do, who I want to be, what I want to accomplish. I don't need to worry about that - that's always there on a slow simmer. The muscle I have to work on is being more present.
Chris Pine

Many writers are afraid of writing something bad, so they don't try or give up when their efforts don't lead to a masterpiece right away. If you work at it, you will improve.
Lauren Tarshis

I loved teaching and I did a lot of work as a teacher's assistant in college, and my favorite experience was basically getting a laugh from a bunch of people because they had just understood something.
Joss Whedon

Gemeoss

For me, triathlons were something that was down to me and my fitness. Now, I

really enjoy the pain in the triathlon of chasing someone down. It's a bit like chasing down Nico Rosberg in the last few laps at Silverstone - it makes you feel alive. Jenson Button I have this horrible sense of humor where I think discomfort is funny - partly because I experience discomfort a lot, and it's a way of laughing at it and getting a release. Joaquin Phoenix As long as there are people who are not happy with their lot in life, as long as the United States is perceived to somehow be the cause of this unhappiness, there will be terrorism. Cofer Black I'm just not one of those naturally funny, relaxed actors who enjoy the spotlight and are so good at it. Heath Ledger Be sure of yourself, don't let anyone bully you, be a strong and independent woman or boy. Nicole Polizzi When I started studying tenor saxophone as a kid in Belfast, I did so with a guy named George Cassidy, who was also a big inspiration. Van Morrison We get sucked into the Inte

To anger female voters in America is to tread on the tiger's tail. Women turn

out in huge numbers, and they are well aware of how their bodies work and what they need. Henry Rollins We have to be bold in our national ambitions. First, we must win the fight against poverty within the next decade. Second, we must improve moral standards in government and society to provide a strong foundation for good governance. Third, we must change the character of our politics to promote fertile ground for reforms. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Conflict is always fun to play. Autumn Reeser I'm really a normal person. Dakota Johnson Growing up as a child actress, there was much I got to do and yet so much that I missed out on. Therefore, when I had kids, I made it a point to make sure that they could do anything and everything that they dreamed of. A great education was definitely right at top of my list! Kim Richards I did vote Obama. But I've never believed in the authenticity of the two-party system. Marilyn Manson Sailing is a big outlet for me. It's

I remember when I was in third grade, I was in a classroom, and the teacher said,

'What do you want to do when you get older?' We were going around the room. I said, 'I want to be a professional basketball player.' She's like, 'That's not realistic.' I thought to myself, 'OK, watch.' Zach LaVine Professional wrestling is my first love, and I will continue to do that, but if I get a good offer for a film or a show, I would love to take it up. Sangram Singh I had this dream in my head of, if I got hired by 'SNL, what that moment would be like. And I dreamed that I would, like, collapse on the sidewalk and cry to the heavens. I got this call, and it didn't happen naturally. But I did it anyway because I wanted to have that moment. So I did collapse. Kate McKinnon It's funny: I don't feel like I have any particular privileged feeling for the Fifties. Todd Haynes Stock market goes up or down, and you can't adjust your portfolio based on the whims of the market, so you have to have a strategy in a position and s

Women have to harness their power - its absolutely true. It's just learning

not to take the first no. And if you can't go straight ahead, you go around the corner. Cher Though I had success in my research both when I was mad and when I was not, eventually I felt that my work would be better respected if I thought and acted like a 'normal' person. John Forbes Nash, Jr. Strong advocacy for education, health care and worker safety will be indispensable if they are to get their fair share of President Bush's austere budget for the next fiscal year. Arlen Specter There was absolutely no intention of splitting up. We had so many great ideas to use on the new album. John Paul Jones was incredible, coming to the studio each day with new instruments to play. John Bonham I think I'm a people person. I get very attached to people. And I've become so attached to all the people on my show, the cast, the crew and the producers. Victoria Pratt Who ever said that pleasure wasn't functional? Charles Eames Beauty and folly are old c

Right before I go on stage, I'm absolutely terrified. My mind darts at many directions,

but the center of me is going forward into the performance. Sarah Brightman I think we have responsibilities to be active in the things we believe in, regardless of what our job is. At least in my lifetime, there has been a tremendous combining of activism and music, that came up in the era of Pete Seeger and the Weavers and Joan Baez and Bob Dylan and Peter Paul & Mary. Bonnie Raitt If I were put into a college lecture hall right now and told to pay attention for 45 minutes, it would be physically impossible for me to do. I'm one of those people who believe that ADD is a gift. It's tough to manage, but if you can harness it you can do great things. Jeff Kinney I don't sleep very much. I really like to work, though. I feel like a kid in a candy store. Donnie Wahlberg I've got the best shoe guy in the business. Nate Robinson I don't know the figures, but Hollywood must buy 100 rights for every movie that actually gets made. Bryan Burrough Organi

A common pickpocket trick is for the operator to carry a shawl or overcoat carelessly

over the left arm, and to take a seat on the right side of the person they intend to rob in a streetcar or other vehicle. Harry Houdini With an audience it's now, there are no editors around. It's just me and the audience and it's what I like best. Rik Mayall I've always seen 'Y' as an unconventional romance between a boy and his protector. It was always about the last boy on Earth becoming the last man on Earth, and the women who made that possible. Brian K. Vaughan I've always driven big SUVs. I'm from Maine, and there's a point to driving a big SUV in Maine. I don't really need a 4WD in L.A., but on the 405, people are crazy, and you need a tank. I like the visibility factor. Rachel Nichols I'm a believer in what your record is. I am what my record is - some of it good, some of it bad, some of it hard to tell. Dan Rather Stem cell therapy has the potential to treat a multitude of diseases and illnesses, which up until now ha

At the risk of appearing disingenuous, I don't really think of myself as 'writing humor.'

I'm simply reporting on the world I observe, which is frequently hilarious. Richard Russo I had people in my life who didn't give up on me: my mother, my aunt, my science teacher. I had one-on-one speech therapy. I had a nanny who spent all day playing turn-taking games with me. Temple Grandin We need to honor our troops who served and show our support by giving our men and women who served the best health care, the best educational opportunities, and the best job training available. They deserve nothing less. Barbara Lee I love my baby more than anything. He's like a Gerber baby. He's the cutest baby in the whole world. Bristol Palin I love a sandwich that you can barely fit in your mouth because there's so much stuff on it. The bread should not be the main thing on a sandwich. Adrianne Palicki Obviously, I like to write stories that are page-turners. But I always try my very, very hardest to be as factually true as possible. Jon Ronson My parents

My background was producing and writing and performing in television when I started out, and

I really missed that, that whole creative process that comes from sort of 'me' storytelling. Eric Bana When I first did 'The Fast and the Furious', I didn't want there to be a sequel on the first one. I thought, 'Why would you rush to do a sequel - just because your first film is successful?' Vin Diesel Put every light you have on a dimmer. Because after a certain age, we can play with the lighting and set it on how you look best on it. It's cheaper than plastic surgery. Bryan Batt I love that there's this tradition of being able to discuss the heaviest topics and the gnarliest stuff that goes down in people's lives in traditional Southern American music. Gillian Welch We repress the things we're scared of, but if we just look at and embrace the things we're scared of, it's a much fuller, richer life that's also not as scary. Gary Ross I was aware that the teaching of drawing was being stopped almost 30 years ago. A

I was in college in Washington, D.C. I did three years full-time. I did all

my requirements, and my senior year was really a gut year. And I said, 'Law school will always be there.' I was in no hurry to get right into that. Alec Baldwin I used to be a health-care investor a long time ago in the public markets. One thing I learned that we tried to apply here is that investing in small molecules, trying to invest in the next treatment, there's an element of gambling to that. Bill Maris History gives you insight of the same quality of truth as poetry or philosophy or a novel. Simon Schama Rasputin's daughter understands the revolution. She would have been an outsider, a spectator in the royal family and to the revolution. Kathryn Harrison The experts typically know where the other best-in-the-world talents are currently working and can help you recruit them in with a credible intro. Scott Weiss In the end, I want to spend my 60s writing bonkbusters like Jilly Cooper. Caitlin Moran My parents were from New England. It's very f

I'm an expert witness in a case that's in appeal about a guy who allegedly

misappropriated source code from a major, major company - he actually worked there and then apparently they found it on his laptop later. Kevin Mitnick To succeed in life in today's world, you must have the will and tenacity to finish the job. Chin-Ning Chu The faster you go, the shorter you are. Albert Einstein I don't consider myself to be that radical a thinker. Steven Pinker I would just love once to be called sexy. Just because it would make me something other than cute. Jennifer Love Hewitt I'm a winner each and every time I go into the ring. George Foreman People always ask me, 'Were you funny as a child?' Well, no, I was an accountant. Ellen DeGeneres