February 5, 2009 question

I could tell you what the folks at theInternet.com gave as an answer to yesterday's question, but it would pale in comparison to trivia's resident expert in all things Russian, who for anonymity's sake will remain nameless. Here's what Elena had to say:

Sputnik simply means “satellite,” both man-made and “natural”—as in “The Moon is the sputnik of the Earth.”

But that’s not all. Outside of space travel, “sputnik” has a down-to-earth, everyday meaning of “co-traveler,” someone who is going on the same road with you side by side. “Put” in Russian means “road, way,” and the preposition “s” means “with.” The last name of Russia’s fearless leader, president turned prime-minister—Putin—has the same root.

You may have read from the early history of the Soviet Union, some writers, artists, musicians were denounced (some killed) as “poputchiks”—“fellow travelers” who just tagged along with the regime’s agenda, without showing due enthusiasm.

So, I gave credit to everybody whose answers fit somewhere into Encyclopedia Elena's definition: Gopal, Karen H (the H stands for Half-Hearted Communist), and of course Elena. So here's today's question:

Who said this: "The market does not drive scientists, thinkers, or governments to do the right things. Only by paying attention and making people care can we make as much progress as we need to"?