[Old? But somehow, still functionally Good, it seems, it looks; Lille]
Yet another ‘Book By Quote’ then (An attempt to subjectively summarise a book by the quotes I found worthwhile to mark, to remember. Be aware that the quotes as such, aren’t a real unbiased ‘objective’ summary; most often I heartily advise to read the book yourself..!).
And because you’ve been such a nice audience [still countable on the fingers of one hand], you’ll get a double treat; two books by quote in one go. One in English, one in Dutch, even.
So, this time, first up: Alan Lightman, The Accidental Universe, Pantheon Books, 2013, ISBN 9780307908582
Physicists call it the second law of thermodynamics. It is also called the arrow of time. (p.26)
Yet despite all the evidence, we continue to strive for youth and immortality, we continue to cling to the old photographs, we continue to wish that our grown daughters were children again. Every civilization has sought the “elixir of life” – the magical potion that would grant youth and immortality. In China alone, the substance has one thousand names. (p.28)
To my mind, it is one of the profound contradictions of human existence that we long for immortality, indeed fervently believe that something must be unchanging and permanent, when all of the evidence in nature argues against us. (p.34)