“One of my astronomy managers used to tell me that liquid nitrogen was harmless and was just liquid air. He would pour it onto his bare hands to demonstrate how safe he thought it was. I was later to realize that incompetence was a feature of high altitude astronomy.”

Steven Magee is a British philosopher and historian of ideas. He is best known for his work on the Enlightenment, particularly his exploration of how philosophical movements shaped modern thought. His writing bridges academic rigor and accessible insight, making complex ideas approachable.