[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fjcIif2AdAHS-L2B9Pnvb1QlRNRcL_bo55hnHGIRxfOo":3,"$fFx9mRPGP-6yvRydeYrt1uJcfbndeu904XMi0fdbFKGU":51},{"author":4,"tags":50},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":10,"bio_jsonld":11,"slug":48,"image_url":49},23077,"Michael Brooks","M",17,"Michael Brooks is a British physicist born on 7 May 1970.\n\nA male citizen of the United Kingdom, Brooks has worked as a physicist and conducts his professional output in the English language.","Michael Brooks is a British physicist born on 7 May 1970.",{"@graph":12,"@context":47},[13,24],{"@id":14,"name":6,"@type":15,"sameAs":16,"birthDate":22,"description":23},"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6828855","Person",[14,17,18,19,20,21],"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Brooks_(science_writer)","https://viaf.org/viaf/71547415/","https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n99011884","https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL5097242A","https://d-nb.info/gnd/120813092","1970-05-07","English science writer",{"@type":25,"author":26,"headline":29,"isBasedOn":30,"mainEntity":31,"reviewedBy":32,"articleBody":9,"dateCreated":33,"dateModified":34,"additionalProperty":35,"creativeWorkStatus":46},"Article",{"name":27,"@type":28},"Editorial Team","Organization","Michael Brooks — biography",[14,17,19,20],{"@id":14},{"name":27,"@type":28},"2026-05-25T03:40:03.146442+00:00","2026-05-25T03:47:56.900274+00:00",[36,40,43],{"@type":37,"value":38,"propertyID":39},"PropertyValue","Q6828855","wikidata",{"@type":37,"value":41,"propertyID":42},"1.000","factscore",{"@type":37,"value":44,"propertyID":45},"claude-sonnet-4-6-r1","draftModel","AI-drafted, auto-published","https://schema.org","michael-brooks",null,[],{"quotes":52,"pagination":148},[53,61,68,74,81,93,104,115,126,137],{"id":54,"quote_text":55,"author_id":5,"source_id":56,"has_image":57,"author":58,"source":59,"quote_tag":60,"commentary":49},3281169,"Once that resigned acceptance of a discovery comes, we forget that there was once such a kerfuffle. We act as if this truth were always with us, that it is self-evident. We forget the decades of persecution someone endured in order to shepherd us to the view we would now die to defend. And so we become comfortable – so comfortable that we will wantonly persecute the man or woman who comes to disturb our peaceful state.",6,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":48,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":49},{},[],{"id":62,"quote_text":63,"author_id":5,"source_id":56,"has_image":57,"author":64,"source":65,"quote_tag":66,"commentary":67},3281159,"In other words the effect of good friends is roughly similar to giving up smoking or making a significant cut to your intake of alcohol. A 2012 study, which followed 2,000 US citizens aged fifty and above, found that being chronically lonely was associated with being almost twice as likely to die over the period of the study. The.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":48,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":49},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nMichael Brooks, a British author and journalist known for his critical thinking and contrarian views, likely wrote these words in one of his books or essays. The era of Michael's life during the 2010s was marked by growing concerns about social isolation, mental health, and the impact of loneliness on physical well-being.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nThe counter-intuitive truth lies in the stark comparison between the effects of good friendships and other life-altering habits like quitting smoking or reducing alcohol intake. What's striking is that Brooks emphasizes the profound influence of social connections over more commonly recognized lifestyle changes, suggesting that our relationships have a quantifiable impact on our mortality.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this insight today, modern professionals can prioritize building meaningful relationships with their colleagues and networks by hosting regular team-building activities or simply taking the time to ask about and genuinely listen to others' lives. By doing so, they can cultivate a support system that may have as significant an impact on their well-being as quitting smoking or changing their diet.",{"id":69,"quote_text":70,"author_id":5,"source_id":56,"has_image":57,"author":71,"source":72,"quote_tag":73,"commentary":49},3281154,"Sometimes, the idea that science is a neutral, careful, bias-avoiding discipline has a bad day.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":48,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":49},{},[],{"id":75,"quote_text":76,"author_id":5,"source_id":56,"has_image":57,"author":77,"source":78,"quote_tag":79,"commentary":80},3281138,"There are reasons to doubt that what we call the laws of physics necessarily apply everywhere in the universe – or that they were applicable to every time in its history.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":48,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":49},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nThis quote is attributed to Michael Brooks, an American philosopher and science writer. It is likely from his book \"At the Edge of Uncertainty: 17 Scientists Take You to the Breaking Point of Knowledge and Beyond\" (2018), where he explores the boundaries of scientific knowledge. During this time, Brooks was grappling with the implications of quantum mechanics and its potential to challenge our understanding of the universe.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nThe quote reveals a counter-intuitive truth about the nature of scientific knowledge. Brooks is highlighting the tension between the notion of universal laws governing the universe and the possibility that these laws may be context-dependent, varying across different times and places. This paradox suggests that our understanding of the world is not as absolute as we might assume.\n\n**How to Use This**\nIn a modern context, embracing this mindset can lead to a more nuanced approach to problem-solving. By acknowledging the potential for context-dependent solutions, professionals and creatives can become more adept at adapting their approaches to suit the specific challenges they face, rather than relying on rigid adherence to established principles.",{"id":82,"quote_text":83,"author_id":5,"source_id":84,"has_image":57,"author":85,"source":86,"quote_tag":87,"commentary":49},1086809,"The electric bill was too high to begin with and they can't pay. That has to be put back on the agenda and (the surcharge) taken off.",4,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":48,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":49},{},[88],{"id":89,"tag":90},4087301,{"id":91,"tag_name":92},29738,"agenda",{"id":94,"quote_text":95,"author_id":5,"source_id":84,"has_image":57,"author":96,"source":97,"quote_tag":98,"commentary":49},1086801,"I don't like how the community has been fractured. It's important for me that the pride and spirit of the Lawrence school district be restored.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":48,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":49},{},[99],{"id":100,"tag":101},4087290,{"id":102,"tag_name":103},2417,"community",{"id":105,"quote_text":106,"author_id":5,"source_id":84,"has_image":57,"author":107,"source":108,"quote_tag":109,"commentary":49},1086782,"There were two explosive devices that went off pretty much simultaneously at two separate buildings -- the mosque and the administrative building.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":48,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":49},{},[110],{"id":111,"tag":112},4087273,{"id":113,"tag_name":114},13762,"buildings",{"id":116,"quote_text":117,"author_id":5,"source_id":84,"has_image":57,"author":118,"source":119,"quote_tag":120,"commentary":49},1086767,"This area is very sensitive to me. The city is trying to hold on to $500,000 for Streetscape, but returned nearly $500,000 in grant money earmarked (for the Hugh Cale project) designed to help low-income residents. You do the math. When Streetscape is more important than children, senior citizens and struggling families, we have a problem.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":48,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":49},{},[121],{"id":122,"tag":123},4087258,{"id":124,"tag_name":125},11116,"area",{"id":127,"quote_text":128,"author_id":5,"source_id":84,"has_image":57,"author":129,"source":130,"quote_tag":131,"commentary":49},1086747,"As competition increases our margins get challenged but we must understand and appreciate that competition breeds champions.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":48,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":49},{},[132],{"id":133,"tag":134},4087242,{"id":135,"tag_name":136},4054,"appreciate",{"id":138,"quote_text":139,"author_id":5,"source_id":84,"has_image":57,"author":140,"source":141,"quote_tag":142,"commentary":49},1086717,"With Christmas coming up, we wanted to keep the public's attention on this case.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":48,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":49},{},[143],{"id":144,"tag":145},4087222,{"id":146,"tag_name":147},1796,"attention",{"currentPage":149,"totalPages":150,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":151},1,2,10]