Science Fiction Quote of the Week

“There is no such thing as magic,” she translated. “There are scientific principles, which scientists discover and write down, and these principles are followed by engineers who invent such things as what you call the flying monster or the electric lights. Scientists discover principles, engineers act on them. Yes?”

“Hail the priests of Science and their temple slaves the engineers,” I said. “Truly the god Science is a great god. You worship a great god.”

“It is not worship. It is science.” Semyonus angry, Olava smiling.

“I am sorry to have given offense to the god Science but you must understand this is a strange land to me. Will your god understand?”

Semyonus was very angry. Olava translated for him.

“Science, Eugeni, is immutable. It understands nothing and forgives nothing. It is what it is.”

“A mysterious god, great for the Pantheon.”

“Science is not a god. It would not like you calling it a god. If you think of it as a god, it will never let you know its mysteries. You must approach it in a scientific manner, with an open mind. Men devote years of their lives to it, their entire lives. It has given us everything we have today.” Thus said Olava for Semyonus.

“Hail Science, giver of things,” I said. “Let us sacrifice to it.”
--Richard Ben Sapir, The Far Arena