Arthur Koestler on Scientists

“Scientists are peeping toms at the keyhole of eternity.” – Arthur Koestler

by

March 3, 2014

Get the Big Think newsletter on Substack

“Scientists are peeping toms at the keyhole of eternity.” – Arthur Koestler

bigthinkeditor Full Profile

The Game Issue October 2025

Test Special Issue

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

3 videos 8 articles

A large square window frames a view of rows of houses and tall apartment buildings under a partly cloudy sky.

A middle-aged man with short gray hair and a receding hairline is smiling, wearing a dark t-shirt against a light blue background.

Productivity for Mortals

Oliver Burkeman

Author, “Meditations for Mortals”

A person with glasses and a bald head is looking slightly to the side, centered in a green-tinted square frame.

AI and the Future of Civilization

Yuval Noah Harari

Historian and Philosopher, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Best-Selling Author

Abstract geometric design featuring concentric circles, quartered background, and scattered solid and outlined dots in blue, green, and white hues.

The 6 Disciplines of Strategic Thinking

Michael Watkins

Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change, IMD Business School, and Author, “The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking”

A woman with long hair and glasses wearing a blazer, posed with her hand under her chin, looks at the camera. The photo is overlaid with a semi-transparent colored square.

Radical Respect at Work

Co-Founder, Radical Candor, and Author, Radical Respect: How to Work Together Better

A middle-aged bald man with light skin and blue eyes, wearing a dark crewneck shirt, looks directly at the camera against a plain background.

No-Nonsense Leadership

Founding Partner, Andreessen Horowitz and Author, The Hard Thing About Hard Things

An older man with short gray hair and glasses, wearing a blue striped shirt and a red sweater, is framed by an orange translucent square overlay.

A Primatologist’s Guide to Human Behavior

C.H. Candler Professor Emeritus at EMORY University, Atlanta, GA

A wall clock is combined with the silhouette of a snail against a textured blue and light blue background.

Slow Productivity

Computer Scientist and Author, Slow Productivity

Related Content

How neuroscience is rewriting the art of war

In “Warhead,” neuroscientist and national security adviser Nicholas Wright explains how the brain navigates warfare and why it is our ultimate weapon (and instrument for peace).

by Tim Brinkhof

Two figures in military gear salute, rendered in white and red with visible brain scans over their heads, set against a black background—a striking nod to the neuroscience of war.

Starts With A Bang

Cosmic inflation’s biggest criticisms can’t undermine its success

Inflation's two main criticisms, that it can predict anything and that the "measure problem" remains unsolved, can't erase its successes.

by Ethan Siegel

Artistic illustration depicting one of the biggest mysteries of the origin of the universe, showing entangled particles connected by curved paths in space, inspired by concepts from quantum physics and wormholes.

Why do only humans weep? The evolutionary puzzle of crying.

In this excerpt from "When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows...," Steven Pinker examines how crying may have evolved as part of a suite of emotional expressions aimed at strengthening social bonds.

by Steven Pinker

A young girl with light brown hair sits with her knees drawn up, looking down, illustrated blue teardrops on her face—capturing a quiet moment that reflects why humans cry.

Starts With A Bang

Science’s answer to the ultimate question: Where do we come from?

Questions about our origins, biologically, chemically, and cosmically, are the most profound ones we can ask. Here are today's best answers.

by Ethan Siegel

ESO milky way

Learn from the world's biggest thinkers.

© Copyright 2007-2026 & BIG THINK, BIG THINK PLUS, SMARTER FASTER trademarks owned by Freethink Media, Inc. All rights reserved.