From the Earth to the Moon Science Quotes

From the Earth to the Moon was written during an important time in the history of science. Instead of looking to religion to provide answers to the origin of the universe, Verne looks to science. After all, the description he gives for the beginning of the universe is strikingly similar to our understanding of the Big Bang.

The moon plays an important role in just about every mythology; like the sun, it's always present in our lives yet fundamentally unreachable. The Gun Club—and science as a whole—seeks to change that.

Science has finally filtered down to the masses. While it's no surprise that scientists are well-informed, it's a little more surprising that the average Joe knows about astronomy, too. Impressive. But it makes sense, too—the news of this lunar mission is sure to blow the minds of everyone who hears about it.

In all honesty, Barbicane has little interest in the natural world, except as far as it helps him complete his experiments. What a weirdo. To him, nature is far less wondrous than the scientific achievements of mankind.

Here, Verne uses religious imagery to describe a scientific marvel. In the past, the only "mysteries" contemplated by regular folk were religious in nature. Now, however, we see these people looking to science as their guiding force.

In this passage, Verne uses scientific jargon to describe the actions of a group of people. Again, this illustrates how science is the primary lens through which he views the world—it also sets standards for science fiction novels that are still upheld to this day.

The Gun Club sees their mission as a way to spread their love of science. It seems to be working, too, since the American public already seems far more informed about scientific truths than ever before. Ultimately, the best way to get people excited about science is show them things they never would have thought possible.

From the Earth to the Moon was written about six years after Darwin's On the Origin of Species. Can you see how those ideas might have influenced these words delivered by Ardan? In addition, we're again shown a connection between religious ideas and scientific ones. Ardan, more than anyone, is interested in finding this common ground.

Ardan is different than Barbicane and his cohorts—he's more con man than scientist. This unique perspective allows him to see through the nonsense often hidden under the guise of "science."

Although Barbicane is in the middle of a duel, he'd rather work out scientific equations than hunt his for foe. Okay, now it's official: This dude is a straight-up nerd. This is especially striking because, although Barbicane invents weapons for a living, he doesn't seem to be a violent guy. To him, a cannon is simply another piece of technology.