Quote of the Day

I had come to [cosmologist Jim] Peebles when I was searching around for a thesis topic, and he had tried to turn me off, saying that what the world needs is good data. It doesn’t need another crummy theory. That has always been his attitude—good observations are worth more than another mediocre theory…There are two reasons for that. One, the subject is data-starved and good data is worth its weight in gold. Secondly, in all honesty, I think that Jim would prefer not to have too much competition.

—Marc Davis, in an interview with Alan Lightman