Let no one rule your mind or body...

Garrow, from the book: Eragon

"First, let no one rule your mind or body. Take special care that your thoughts remain unfettered. One may be a free man and yet be bound tighter than a slave. Give men your ear, but not your heart. Show respect for those in power, but don't follow them blindly. Judge with logic and reason, but comment not. Consider none your superior, whatever their rank or station in life. Treat all fairly or they will seek revenge. Be careful with your money. Hold fast to your beliefs and others will listen. Of affairs of the love... my only advice is to be honest. That's your most powerful tool to unlock a heart or gain forgiveness."

Josh Worth explains: If the moon was only a pixel

Pixel Space Solarsystem

"It seems like we are both pathetically insignificant, and miraculously important at the same time"

Who would dare criticize The Big Bang Theory

PZ Myers of course.

She’s an actor who plays Sheldon’s girlfriend on Big Bang Theory. Right there, as far as I’m concerned, we have a major strike against her: I detest that show. It’s the equivalent of a minstrel show for scientists, where scientists are portrayed as gross caricatures of the real thing — socially inept, egotistical jerks who think rattling off an equation is a sign of intelligence. I think it’s literally an anti-science communication show. Who in their right mind would want to be anything like Sheldon, the narcissistic nerd? Who would want to work with people like that? The message it’s sending instead is that if you are a superficial asshole, you should become a scientist, where you will be loved for personality traits that would get you shunned in civilized company. (We also see the same phenomenon in atheism, where so many people think it’s a great excuse to be the insensitive Vulcan.) But OK, that’s a matter of taste, I will admit, and maybe not enough of a reason to be appalled to think she is going to be speaking to science teachers (although it’s enough for me). And she does have a Ph.D. in neuroscience, you have to respect that.

I will admit to somewhat enjoying TBBT, but perhaps now it's more clear why so much of the rest of the world (who clearly AREN'T nerds and geeks) also like watching the show: They're laughing at us. And we foolishly think we are so clever as we chortle at the high-brow humour we are so sure those others only pretend to understand!