Chapter 18 (p. 294)
“
Once, they would have meant something to Svetlana, but now all she felt was a faint prickly of recollection. Fluency with mathematics—in the context of any kind of engineering discipline or physical science—was a use-it-or-lose-it skill.
— Alastair Reynolds
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Once, they would have meant something to Svetlana, but now all she felt was a faint prickly of recollection. Fluency with mathematics—in the context of any kind of engineering discipline or physical science—was a use-it-or-lose-it skill." in the context of "Chapter 18 (p. 294)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Alastair Reynolds" (Quotes, Pushing Ice (2005): All page numbers from the mass market paperback edition published by Ace Books, )
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Alastair Reynolds
Alastair Preston Reynolds (born 13 March 1966) is a British science fiction author.
About Alastair Reynolds
Alastair Preston Reynolds (born 13 March 1966) is a British science fiction author.
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