Albert Einstein? Ray Cummings? Mark Twain? Arthur C. Clarke? John Archibald Wheeler? Arthur Power Dudden? Susan Sontag?
Dear Quote Investigator: Albert Einstein has received credit for a humorous remark about time:
The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.
Would you please explore the provenance of this quip?
Quote Investigator: There is no substantive evidence that Einstein wrote or spoke the statement above. It is listed within a section called “Probably Not By Einstein” in the comprehensive reference “The Ultimate Quotable Einstein” from Princeton University Press.[1] 2010, The Ultimate Quotable Einstein, Edited by Alice Calaprice, Section: Probably Not by Einstein, Quote Page 481, Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. (Verified on paper)
The earliest match known to QI appeared in March 1919 within a story titled “The Girl in the Golden Atom” by Ray Cummings in the magazine “All-Story Weekly”. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:[2]1919 March 15, All-Story Weekly, Volume 95, Number 1, The Girl in the Golden Atom by Ray Cummings, Start Page 1, Quote Page 20, Column 1, The Frank A. Munsey Company, New York. (Verified with scans … Continue reading
“How would you describe time?”
The Big Business Man smiled. “Time,” he said, “is what keeps everything from happening at once.”
“Very clever,” laughed the Chemist.
Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.
Continue reading Time Is What Keeps Everything From Happening At Once
References
↑1 | 2010, The Ultimate Quotable Einstein, Edited by Alice Calaprice, Section: Probably Not by Einstein, Quote Page 481, Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. (Verified on paper) |
---|---|
↑2 | 1919 March 15, All-Story Weekly, Volume 95, Number 1, The Girl in the Golden Atom by Ray Cummings, Start Page 1, Quote Page 20, Column 1, The Frank A. Munsey Company, New York. (Verified with scans from University of Louisville Archives and Special Collections Repository) |