Airport inspectors did not fail on 9/11; it was the security policy that failed. It was our anticipation of the nature of the likely terrorist attack that was deficient. Americans did not expect anyone sophisticated enough to hijack an airplane to be willing to commit suicide.
-- Richard Muller (Chapter 1, "Nine-Eleven")

Importance: Muller says this to set up the theme that all of the best science in the world still will nor always be able to account for all of the variables, especially the human variables, needed to make effective policy.

A nucleus can explode only once, and then it is gone. That means that anything containing radioactivity will eventually lose it.
-- Richard Muller (Chapter 9, "Radioactive Decay" )

Importance: Muller says this to help reassure the reader. No matter how potently radio active something is, it will not be that way forever. It will become less dangerous over time until there is eventually no danger left at all.

Scientists warned about the cancer danger...
-- Richard Muller (Chapter 9, "Nuclear Decay")