Stupidity is like hydrogen; it’s everywhere, it’s the basic building block of the universe.
Genuine
Yes. In Michael Bloom, ‘Interview with the Composer’, Trouser Press, February 1980.
Checked against Michael Bloom, ‘Interview with the Composer’, Trouser Press, February 1980, in the text of a page scan, not the image.
- Where
- Michael Bloom interview, ‘Interview with the Composer’, Trouser Press, February 1980; discussion of pessimism before the questions about composition
- Source
- Michael Bloom, ‘Interview with the Composer’, Trouser Press, February 1980
- Checked
- In the text of a page scan, not the image
Researched by AI. Entry updated 24 October 2026. Editorial review: pending. How we check
About this quote
The scene
Bloom describes Zappa’s independence and bleak expectations. Zappa says extraordinary or good results surprise him more than stupidity does, then makes the hydrogen comparison. The interviewer responds that this is pessimistic and moves on to composition.
What it means
Stupidity seems as ubiquitous and fundamental to human affairs as hydrogen is to the physical universe.
Often misread
A joke about human behavior, not a scientific assertion. The existence of a related saying credited to Harlan Ellison does not make this checked Zappa sentence a misattribution: the 1980 interview predates the 1985 Ellison passage traced by Quote Investigator.
Topics
Related quotes
- Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe. (not found) Albert Einstein
- Familiarity breeds contempt—and children. Mark Twain
- All the good music’s already been written by people with wigs and stuff on.
- If you can make a woman laugh, you can make her do anything. (not found) Marilyn Monroe
- Rock journalism is people who can’t write interviewing people who can’t talk for people who can’t read. (paraphrase)
Sources
Cite it
Frank Zappa, Michael Bloom, ‘Interview with the Composer’, Trouser Press, February 1980. Checked at Quotogeny, https://quotogeny.com/q/stupidity-is-like-hydrogen/ (24 October 2026).
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Checked by people
People who checked this entry against its source, under their own names. Their checks do not change the verdict: an editor reviews every entry.
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