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John B. S. Haldane Biography

John B. S. Haldane

John Burdon Sanderson Haldane FRS (/ˈhɔːldeɪn/; 5 November 1892 – 1 December 1964) was a British, later Indian, scientist known for his work in the study of physiology, genetics, evolutionary biology, and in mathematics, where he made innovative contributions to the fields of statistics and biostatistics. He was the son of the equally famous John Scott Haldane and was a professed socialist, Marxist, atheist, and humanist whose political dissent led him to leave England in 1956 and live in India, becoming a naturalised Indian citizen in 1961.

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John B. S. Haldane Quotes

A time will however come (as I believe) when physiology will invade and destroy mathematical physics, as the latter has destroyed geometry.

Believe, Destroyed, Latter, Math, Physics, Time

Haldane was engaged in discussion with an eminent theologian. "What inference," asked the latter, "might one draw about the nature of God from a study of his works?" Haldane replied: "An inordinate fondness for beetles. "

God, Might, Replied, Study, Works

Now, my own suspicion is that the universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose. I have read and heard many attempts at a systematic account of it, from materialism and theosophy to the Christian system or that of Kant, and I have always felt that they were much too simple. I suspect that there are more things in heaven and earth that are dreamed of, or can be dreamed of, in any philosophy. That is the reason why I have no philosophy myself, and must be my excuse for dreaming.

Christian, Dream, Heaven, Materialism, Philosophy, Suppose

It seems to me immensely unlikely that mind is a mere by-product of matter. For if my mental processes are determined wholly by the motions of atoms in my brain I have no reason to suppose that my beliefs are true. They may be sound chemically, but that does not make them sound logically. And hence I have no reason for supposing my brain to be composed of atoms.

Brain, Hence, Mind, Supposing, Supposing That

The Creator, if He exists, has a special preference for beetles.

Beetles, Creator, Preference, Special

We must learn not to take traditional morals too seriously. And it is just because even the least dogmatic of religions tends to associate itself with some kind of unalterable moral tradition, that there can be no truce between science and religion.

Associate, Kind, Learn, Moral, Tends, Tradition

An ounce of algebra is worth a ton of verbal argument.

Algebra, Argument, Ounce, Ton, Worth

The idea of protoplasm, which was really a name for our ignorance, [is] only a little less misleading than the expression "Vital force".

Expression, Force, Ignorance, Misleading, Name, Names

While I do not suggest that humanity will ever be able to dispense with its martyrs, I cannot avoid the suspicion that with a little more thought and a little less belief their number may be substantially reduced.

Atheism, Belief, Dispense, Humanity, Numbers, Suggest

I will give up my belief in evolution if someone finds a fossil rabbit in the Precambrian.

Belief, Evolution, Fossils, Giving Up, Precambrian, Rabbits

A fairly bright boy is far more intelligent and far better company than the average adult.

Average, Bright, Children, Inspirational, Intelligent, Thank You

You can analyze a glass of water and you're left with a lot of chemical components, but nothing you can drink.

Chemical, Components, Drink, Glasses, Thinking, Water

If one could conclude as to the nature of the Creator from a study of creation it would appear that God has an inordinate fondness for stars and beetles.

Creation, Creator, Inordinate, Stars, Study

God has an inordinate fondness for beetles.

Beetles, Fondness, God, Inordinate

Every Christian church has tried to impose a code of morals of some kind for which it has claimed divine sanction. As these codes have always been opposed to those of the gospels a loophole has been left for moral progress such as hardly exists in other religions.

Christian, Church, Codes, Left, Progress

I will jump into the river to save two brothers or eight cousins.

Brother, Brothers, Cousin, Cousins, Eight

The future will be no primrose path. It will have its own problems. Some will be the secular problems of the past, giant flowers of evil blossoming at last to their own destruction. Others will be wholly new.

Destruction, Evil, Flower, Giant, Past, Path

Science affects the average man and woman in two ways already. He or she benefits by its application driving a motor-car or omnibus instead of a horse-drawn vehicle, being treated for disease by a doctor or surgeon rather than a witch, and being killed with an automatic pistol or shell in place of a dagger or a battle-axe.

Affects, Already, Application, Horse, Men, Science

There are 400,000 species of beetles on this planet, but only 8,000 species of mammals.

400000, 8000, Mammals, Planets, Species

[Children] are taught that it is a virtue to accept statements without adequate evidence, which leaves them a prey to quacks of every kind in later life, and makes it very difficult for them to accept the methods of thought which are successful in science.

Children, Difficult, Prey, Religion, Successful, Taught

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