Hero of Alexandria

My inventions are not for the practical-minded, but for those who appreciate the beauty of a well-executed marvel.

To truly understand the universe, one must first understand how to make a statue weep wine.

The only thing more fascinating than the workings of the human mind is the workings of a perfectly balanced mechanism.

Some seek to understand the heavens; I seek to understand how to make a bird sing without a bird.

My devices may seem like magic, but I assure you, the only magic involved is a thorough understanding of physics.

Why bother with the mundane when you can have the magnificent? That, my friends, is the essence of engineering.

The greatest truths are often revealed not in grand pronouncements, but in the subtle movements of a well-crafted automaton.

I find that a good laugh is often the best lubricant for the gears of innovation.

The exact quote text

Nature does nothing in vain.

The elements are fire, air, water, and earth. Of these, fire is the most subtle, and earth the most gross.

Every body is composed of minute particles, between which are empty spaces.

Air is a body, and therefore it occupies space.

A vacuum cannot exist naturally, but can be produced artificially.

Water, when heated, is converted into air, and this air has a greater volume than the water from which it was produced.

The force of steam is capable of moving great weights.

By means of a small force, a great weight may be moved, if the force be applied at a greater distance from the fulcrum.

The lever is the most powerful of all machines.

The screw is a continuous inclined plane.

The pulley is a simple machine, but its power is great.